Once again the format for the 1976 championship saw the eight qualifying group winners play each other in four quarter-finals for a place in the Finals in Yugoslavia.

The quarter-finals saw Czechoslovakia beat the USSR, the mighty Holland knock out neighbours Belgium and West Germany get past Spain. Hosts Yugoslavia also made it through, beating Wales 3-1 on aggregate, thereby denying the Welsh a first major finals appearance since 1958.

The Czechs pulled off the biggest surprise when they beat favourites Holland in extra–time after a 1-1 draw in the two sides' semi-final.

The Dutch had been so near to becoming world champions just two years before and, with many of their players peaking, they were expected to at least reach the final.

However it wasn't to be as Ondrus put the Czechs ahead but was then unlucky to gift Holland an equaliser when he accidently deflected a shot into his own net.

Despite being allowed back into the game in such a fortunate way, Holland couldn't capitalise on their fortune and, in a manner that would come to symbolise their performances at major finals, they self-destructed.

Feyenoord's Wim van Hanegem was sent off along with Pollak from the Czech side and when it came to extra-time, the Dutch missed their player more.

Nehoda headed the Czechs in front and, just before the whistle, the win was made sure by Moder.

The Yugoslavs virtually annihilated West Germany in the first-half of their semi. Oblak laid on a perfect pass for Popivoda and when Maier punched the ball straight to Dzajic, who finished calmly, it looked all over for the World Cup holders at 2-0.

However, back they came and, aided by substitutes Heinz Flohe and Dieter Muller, they pounced on a Yugoslav defence that committed the cardinal error of sitting back on a two-goal lead.

Flohe sent Petrovic the wrong way when his shot cannoned off the chest of Holzenbein into the Yugoslav net before Muller levelled the scores with ten minutes left.

When the game went into extra-time, Muller was on hand to score two more goals to give West Germany a victory which, at half-time, had seemed an impossibility.

After 25 minutes of the Final, the Germans trailed by two goals once again. Svehlik and Dobias’s goals had the Germans on the ropes but Muller got one back before half-time and Holzenbein equalised in the last minute.

The Czechs led by one after seven consecutive successful kicks, then Uli Hoeness put his kick over the bar.

Antonín Panenka, under immense pressure, stepped up and amazingly chipped the ball past Maier.  It was Czechoslovakia who lifted the Henri Delaunay Trophy.

Tournament Statistics

1976 European Championship - Finals statistics
1976 European Championship - Qualifying statistics