The national teams of Spain and France will determine the first finalist of the European Championship. There is an interesting nuance. If these teams meet in the play-offs of the European Championship, the winner wins the tournament. In 1984, the French won immediately in the final (2-0), in 2012 the Spanish won in the quarter-finals (2-0) and then won the trophy. There was another match: in 2000, the meeting between Spain and France in the quarter-finals ended in a dramatic way.
How Spain reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2000
The Spaniards performed well in the qualifying round: seven wins in eight games, finishing first in the group. Their opponents were Israel, Austria, Cyprus and San Marino. But the start of the European Championship was a failure: José Antonio Camacho’s team lost to Norway (0-1). Two years earlier, the Spaniards failed to qualify from the group stage at the 1998 World Cup, despite picking up four points. Missing the playoffs for the second major tournament in a row would be catastrophic.
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But the Spaniards quickly came to their senses. First they beat Slovenia (2-1) and then played a spectacular match against Yugoslavia. They were on fire 2:3 until the 90+4 minute, but managed to score two goals before the final whistle and made it into the playoffs. And even from first place in the group! Without the victory in that match, the Spaniards would have had to book flights home. And so Camacho’s team did not even leave Bruges. There they beat Yugoslavia and there they also faced France in the quarter-finals.
In the group stage, Alfonso became the top scorer for the Spanish national team. The striker scored two goals (both in the 3rd round). It was his goal in the 90+5th minute that gave the team the victory in the match against Yugoslavia and the ticket to the playoffs. Besides him, the Spaniards scored Raul, Joseba Etxeberria, Pedro Munitis and Gaizka Mendieta (penalty).
The Spanish team before the match against Norway at Euro 2000
Photo: Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images
How France reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2000
The French entered the tournament as world champions. Two years before the European Championship, they won the World Cup on home soil, but they did so under the leadership of Aimé Jacquet. The coach left his post immediately after the World Cup and was replaced by Roger Lemerre. According to the national team results, the French were ahead of Ukraine by just one point and Russia by two. However, the world champions suffered only one defeat: in a home match against Oleg Romantsev’s team (2-3).
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At the finals of the European Championship, the French were in the “group of death”. They included the Netherlands (the fourth team in the world and one of the hosts of the tournament), Denmark (quarter-finalists of the 1998 World Cup) and the Czech Republic (finalist of the 1996 European Championship). However, France calmly solved the problem of reaching the quarter-finals. Lemerre’s team defeated Denmark (3-0) and then beat the Czech Republic (2-1). The third round match against the Netherlands was not of great importance, as both teams had already made it to the playoffs.
For this reason, Lemaire fielded almost a reserve team for the last group match. The French team took the lead twice, but were defeated 2:3 in the end. This allowed them to qualify for the playoffs from second place. In the group stage, Thierry Henry scored two goals, Laurent Blanc, Sylvain Wiltord, Youri Djorkaeff, Christophe Dugarry and David Trezeguet each scored one.
The French team before the match against Denmark at Euro 2000
Photo: Tim De Waele/Getty Images
One of the most painful moments in Raúl’s career
12 minutes into the first half, the crowd saw three goals at once. First, Zinedine Zidane put the French ahead, after which Gaizka Mendieta converted his second penalty of the Euros. Lemerre’s team scored the second goal just before the break thanks to Djorkaeff. Minute 57: Camacho takes midfielder Mendieta off the field and releases striker Ismael Ursais. A decision that will be remembered for years to come.
A minute before the end of regulation time, the Spaniards were awarded a second penalty. Renowned referee Pierluigi Collina called it after French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez made contact with Abelardo. Here it is: a real chance to take the game to extra time. But Mendieta, the regular penalty taker for the Spanish national team, had already left the field. 22-year-old striker Raul stepped up to the ball. By the way, at that time he was already a two-time Champions League winner as part of Real Madrid. In a couple of days he will turn 23.
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And then there was a fatal mistake. Barthez did not guess the direction of the shot and jumped to the corner on his left. Raul shot in the opposite direction, but sent the ball over the goal. What a drama!
“Everything was going well at Euro 2000 until I missed that penalty in the final minutes,” Raul recalled in 2002. “Honestly, I don’t want to remember this. It’s easier now, but two years ago… A nightmare. When I missed it, it was like my whole world turned upside down. I cried on the pitch, I sobbed in the dressing room and I couldn’t calm down in the hotel. When I came back to Spain I didn’t want to see anyone. I had the desire to run away from home because of the sympathy and the ridicule.”
Raul (left winger) missed a penalty in the 90th minute
Photo: Sandra Behne/Bongarts/Getty Images
Spanish defender Francisco “Paco” Jémez’s memories of Euro 2000: “We played a good game and deserved more in the match against the future European champions. If our team had taken that penalty, we would probably have won. When I entered the dressing room I saw Raúl crying. He cried as if someone had died. As an experienced footballer, I hugged him and calmed him down. And he said that there would be many more penalties like this in his career, but that he would take them and become one of the best football players in the world.”
“I cried and felt helpless. I thought we would equalise the score and still have hope for a successful result. Not only was I disappointed, but the whole team was disappointed too. We had worked for a month and really wanted to overcome this damned quarter-final barrier. Spain could have beaten the world champions, but after the final whistle we had to realise the magnitude of the failure,” said Raul.
The French national team is the champion of Euro 2000.
Photo: Bongarts/Getty Images
Eight years later, Spain still won the quarter-finals. Before that, they often stumbled at this stage. At Euro 2008, the Spaniards beat the Italians on penalties and a few days later became champions of the tournament. The French took gold at Euro 2000. After winning the match against the Spaniards, they beat Portugal (2:1) and Italy (2:1). In both cases, thanks to the “golden goal”.
