TOP 10 CONTROVERSIES IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

Goal takes a look back at the most infamous incidents in European Championship history, including hooliganism, contentious calls and alleged match-fixing..

BOLI’S HEADBUTT | Stuart Pearce was having a frank exchange of views with Jocelyn Angloma during England’s Euro ’92 clash with France when Basile Boli came out of nowhere and headbutted the Nottingham Forest full-back. Pearce was left with a bloodied cheek but rather admirably refused to accuse Boli of any wrongdoing after the game. “Boli faxed me at the hotel where we were staying afterwards and said ‘Thanks for your sportsmanship’ because he realised that if I’d made a meal of it he’d be in the sh*t,” the former England international revealed. “But I’m of the philosophy that whatever happens on the football pitch stays there.”

‘TURNIP’ VS LINEKER | Needing a victory to progress to the knockout stage of Euro ‘92, England were drawing 1-1 in their final group game, against tournament hosts Sweden, with just half an hour to play. With the Scandinavians having only just equalised, Three Lions boss Graham Taylor felt that a change was necessary. Infamously, he opted to take off Gary Lineker, who was just one goal shy of Bobby Charlton’s England record and making his final appearance for his country. Lineker was visibly disgusted, refusing to even look at his manager. Taylor, meanwhile, remained stone-faced but Sweden went on to win the game and the England manager was infamously branded a “turnip” by the British tabloid press, a label which he would never shake.

SPAIN VS REFEREES | Host nations have often benefited from a contentious call or two but England really rode their luck during their Euro ’96 quarter-final with Spain at Wembley. First, Julio Salinas had a goal ruled out even though the forward was clearly onside and then Jose Luis Caminero was bundled over in the area just as he was about to shoot. The Spaniards eventually bowed out on penalties, leaving Salinas more than a little peeved. “We not only played against 11 players and 70,000 fans but also three officials,” the striker raged. “It was impossible to win.”

FRANCO VS SOVIETS | Spain stormed into the quarter-finals of the 1960 European Championship with a 7-2 demolition of Poland and Helenio Herrera’s wonderfully talented side were scheduled to meet USSR in the last eight. However, General Franco refused to grant Gavril Kachalin’s men entry into Spain for political reasons, thus handing the Soviets a bye into the semi-finals. That USSR went on to win the tournament in France, only heightening the frustration of a Spain squad featuring world-class players such as Ladislao Kubala, Alfredo Di Stefano, Luis Suarez and Francisco Gento.

POLEAXED | Trailing 1-0 in injury time at the end of their Euro 2008 group stage clash with Poland, co-hosts Austria were staring elimination in the face. However, Howard Webb then pointed to the spot having deemed Marcin Wasilewski guilty of pulling Sebastian Prodl’s shirt. Ivica Vastic converted to secure a draw which kept Austria’s hopes alive yet all but eliminated their opponents’ chances. “I’ve never had a problem in 43 years of being in football but this is something I cannot understand,” Poland coach Leo Beenhakker sighed. Polish protests didn’t end there, with even the country’s president electing to weigh into the controversy but he could not save Beenhakker’s frustrated players, who bowed out after losing 1-0 to Croatia.

THE ‘ENGLISH DISEASE’ | “All of a sudden, my eyes started to water,” England goalkeeper Ray Clemence explained. “I couldn’t see anything but I realised there was a problem behind the goal.” Indeed there was. Violence had broken out during the first half of his country’s Euro 1980 clash with Belgium, prompting Italian riot police to fire tear gas into the Three Lions end of Turin’s Stadio Comunale. After a five-minute suspension of play, the two sides played out a 1-1 draw but England ultimately suffered a surprise group-stage elimination. However, it was the team’s supporters who had shamed a nation. As manager Ron Greenwood fumed, “We’ve done everything to create the right impression here; then these bastards let you down.”

DUTCH RACIAL TENSION | Netherlands were considered one of the favourites for Euro ’96 but their campaign ended in utter disarray amidst allegations of a racial divide within the camp, with an infamous photograph of several black members of Guus Hiddink’s squad dining together at their own table appearing to confirm claims of segregation. However, the likes of Youri Mulder have subsequently explained that the internal strife had more to do with rates of pay than ethnicity. Then there was the fact that Edgar Davids had informed Hiddink after the victory over Switzerland that the coach had his head “too deep in the arse of” captain Danny Blind. In that light, Holland’s tame exit at the hands of France in the quarters was hardly surprising.

KOEMAN’S TOILET HUMOUR | Netherlands celebrated their come-from-behind 2-1 semi-final victory in Hamburg at Euro ’88 with great fervour. However, Ronald Koeman stepped over the line shortly after the full-time whistle. Having swapped shirts with Olaf Thon, the defender pretended to wipe his backside with the jersey. Understandably, Koeman’s actions caused outrage – even his father was disgusted with the ‘joke’ – but the PSV man was unrepentant when interviewed on the issue a few days later. “Would I say that I’m very sorry? Well, no.” Still, he avoided a potential ban for bringing the game into disrepute – and creating a diplomatic incident – and subsequently played his part in the 2-0 win over the Soviets in the final.

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FRANCE’S HELPING HAND | Portugal’s Euro 2000 semi-final with France was three minutes away from going to penalties when Sylvain Wiltord’s goal-bound shot struck the hand Abel Xavier had been using to support himself as he attempted to clear the ball off the line. Guenter Benko initially signalled for a corner but, on the advice of his assistant, the Austrian referee then pointed to the spot, much to Portugal’s fury. Zidane buried the resulting penalty to send France through to the final but the Seleccao continued to berate the officials and Nuno Gomes even saw red after the full-time whistle. Portugal were slammed for their petulance but Xavier was unrepentant: “My conscience is clear. It’s unbelievable that he gave a penalty.”