Greatest EURO Moments In Football History

The European Championship has given us some brilliant moments down the years, from great goals to incredible upsets to controversies aplenty. Here are some of the top Euros moments in history. Van Basten's Volley Now, not many people know that Marco Van Basten began Euro 88 on the bench. By the end of the tournament, he was being hailed as the best striker in the world. Van Basten hit a hat-trick against England in Holland's second game to make himself undroppable. He then scored the winner against West Germany in the semis to send his country through to their first Euros final. The stage was set, Ruud Gullit put Holland ahead, and Van Basten sealed the deal with one of the best goals in history. Instead of controlling a deep cross sent into the box, Van Basten unleashed a stunning volley from an acute angle. It almost broke the net. Spain's Tick Attacker Spain made history in 2012 when they became the first team to win back-to-back Euros. And just like Frank Sinatra, they did it their way. Spain had been one of the biggest underachievers in world football before they won Euro 2008. But that summer in Austria and Switzerland, opposition teams couldn't live with their possession-based Tick Attacker style of play. Spain also won the 2010 World Cup, then took Tick Attacker to another level at Euro 2012. Forget giving up goals, they barely misplaced a pass. Spain thrashed Italy 4-0 in the final to cap an amazing four years of success. It was a masterful performance from arguably the best international team ever. Greece's Stunning Surprise Greece were 150-1 outside as to win Euro 2004. No one gave them a chance. Everyone thought Portugal, the host nation, would thrash them in the opening game. Instead, Greece battled to a 2-1 victory. They then drew with Spain and qualified for the knockout stage despite losing to Russia. Greece weren't what you'd call the prettiest team to watch. They were very defensive and relied on set pieces in attack, but they were incredibly effective at what they did. Greece beat France in the quarters, the Czech Republic in the semis, and Portugal again in the final. Thanks to Angelos Karisteas' header, the fairy tale was complete. Iceland's Thunderclap With a population of just 330,000, Iceland became the smallest country to qualify for the Euros in 2016. And despite what some people thought, they weren't just there to make up the numbers. Iceland finished second in a tough group with Hungary, Portugal, and Austria. They even held Cristiano Ronaldo and co to a 1-1 draw. Then in the round of 16, Iceland made history by beating England, despite conceding the first goal after four minutes. It was an amazing win for them. The players celebrated afterwards by doing the Icelandic Thunderclap in front of their fans. It was a spine-tingling moment. Penenka's Penalty Now, you probably know what a Penenka penalty is, but have you ever wondered how it got its name? It all dates to the final of Euro 76. Czechoslovakia drew 2-2 with West Germany, sending the showdown to penalties. Uli Hoeneß missed the German's fourth spot kick, which meant Antonin Penenka had the chance to win the trophy for his country. He was under huge pressure, but you wouldn't have guessed it by looking at him. The confident Penenka stepped up and chipped his penalty straight down the middle. Along with Johan Cruyff and Jean-Marc Bosman, he's one of a handful of footballers who has a move named after him. Gazza's Dentist Chair After failing to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, Euro 96 made England fans fall in love with the national team again. The mood wasn't so positive before the tournament began, though. A warm-up trip to Hong Kong ended with an alcohol-fueled night out that was caught on camera by the paparazzi. The players were snapped sitting in a dentist chair and having alcohol poured into their mouths by barmen. Fast forward a few weeks and England were playing Scotland at Wembley. Paul Gascoigne scored a brilliant goal that day, but his celebration was even better. Gazza laid down behind the goal while his England teammates squirted water into his mouth. The dentist chair was back and most people saw the funny side. Denmark upset the odds Denmark's players were about to jet off on holiday in the summer of 1992, but a call from UEFA changed everything. A war-torn Yugoslavia had been disqualified from the Euros and Denmark were called in to replace them. No one expected much of the Danes, especially as their star player Michael Laudrup rejected the chance to come out of international retirement. But Denmark had nothing to lose and a win against France in their final group game sent them through to the knockout stage. Denmark then beat Holland on penalties in the semis and won 2-0 against Germany in the final. Not bad for a team that hadn't even qualified for the tournament. Platini's genius in 1984 If you're wondering which player had the best Euros of all time, look no further than Michel Platini at Euro 84. France were the host that summer and they were under pressure to win the competition for the first time. Thanks to Platini, that's exactly what they did. The attacking midfielder scored not one, but two hat-tricks in the group stage as France made a strong start. He then grabbed a late extra-time winner against Portugal in the semis and scored the opening goal against Spain in the final. That's nine goals in just five Euros matches. C'est magnifique, Michel. Italy win on a coin toss Now, some people call penalty shootouts a lottery, even though they're actually a test of skill, nerve, and ability under pressure. You want a real lottery? We bring you Euro 68. Penalty shootouts hadn't been introduced then, so UEFA needed a different way to separate Italy and the Soviet Union after they drew nil-nil in the semis. The answer they came up with was a coin toss. Italy captain Giacinto Fechetti called tails. And he was right. Italy went through to the final, and the Soviet skipper Albert Shestenev went home wishing he'd packed a double-headed coin from his children's magic set. Southgate missed penalty Football's coming home was the soundtrack of Euro 96. The song was written about England hosting the tournament, but the fans belted it out because they believed England could win the tournament. The hosts thrashed Holland 4-1 in their final group game. They then beat Spain on penalties to reach the semis. All of a sudden, England fans were daring to dream. The semi against Germany finished 1-1 after extra time. The first 11 penalties in the shootout were perfect, which meant Gareth Southgate had to score to keep England in it. He didn't. Southgate's weak penalty was saved, and England crashed out on spot kicks. Not for the last time. What other top Euros moments would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments below. Then hit subscribe.