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20 Greatest European Championship Moments of All-Time

By Jon O'brien

Famous figures from football history gathered on the pitch before the European Cup final between Leeds United and Bayern Munich, (back row from left) Marquitez, Matt Busby, Miguel Munoz and Keizer, (front row from left) Francisco Gento, Raymond Kopa, Jose Augusto, Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
Famous figures from football history gathered on the pitch before the European Cup final between Leeds United and Bayern Munich, (back row from left) Marquitez, Matt Busby, Miguel Munoz and Keizer, (front row from left) Francisco Gento, Raymond Kopa, Jose Augusto, Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images) /
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Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC: TO GO WITH AFP STORY ‘Le Bohemians Prague renait grace a une collecte de ses supporteurs’ Soccer players of FC Bohemians thank their fans after the match with Slavia Prague at Vrsovice stadium in Prague 07 August 2005. Czech football club Bohemians Prague, a former first division team which reached the semi-finals of the UEFA cup in 1982-1983, has reemerged from a financial crisis that threatened to wipe it out, thanks to a collection by fans this year. The club, founded 100 years ago and where the celebrated Antonin Panenka, the hero of the Czechoslovak Euro-1976 final vistory over West Germany, once played, is now back, after losing its licence at the start of the year. Now playing in the third division, club officials hope to return to the top by 2010. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images)
Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC: TO GO WITH AFP STORY ‘Le Bohemians Prague renait grace a une collecte de ses supporteurs’ Soccer players of FC Bohemians thank their fans after the match with Slavia Prague at Vrsovice stadium in Prague 07 August 2005. Czech football club Bohemians Prague, a former first division team which reached the semi-finals of the UEFA cup in 1982-1983, has reemerged from a financial crisis that threatened to wipe it out, thanks to a collection by fans this year. The club, founded 100 years ago and where the celebrated Antonin Panenka, the hero of the Czechoslovak Euro-1976 final vistory over West Germany, once played, is now back, after losing its licence at the start of the year. Now playing in the third division, club officials hope to return to the top by 2010. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images) /

Panenka’s ice-cool penalty

Precisely placing it into the top corner, wrong-footing the keeper with a dummy, blasting it straight down the middle – there must be a million and one possible options running through the mind of a player when they make that dreaded long walk from the half-way line to the penalty spot.

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Deftly chipping the keeper probably wasn’t one of them until Czechoslovakia’s cult hero Antonin Panenka wowed everyone with such a tactic in the Euro 1976 final.

Such a showboating trick would be viewed as a bold move at any time. But Panenka’s was made all the more impressive for being the decisive penalty in a shootout which saw his side pull off a surprise victory over West Germany.

The moustachioed man’s ice-cool chip over helpless keeper Sepp Maier has been imitated numerous times since, with both Spain’s Sergio Ramos and Italy’s Andrea Pirlo recently pulling it off in Euro 2012.

Next: Platini dominates Euro ‘84