Whether you are a fan, player, coach or innocent bystander caught up in football tournament fever and another near miss by England this July, you will have your own personal experience of the beautiful game and the conflict that often surrounds it. The football community wouldn’t quite be the same if it didn’t need to face up to regular disputes, controversies and fall-outs.
With Euro 2024 now over, here is Calm Mediation’s take on the main conflicts arising at the European Football Championships from the 1960’s to the present day.
1960’s – The toss of a coin settlement agreement
It’s 1968 and the semi-final between Italy and the USSR has ended in stalemate after extra-time. Penalty shoot-outs didn’t exist in those days so how do they decide the game? By the toss of a coin of course! Italy ride their luck and the Soviet Union curse theirs. Italy go on to beat Yugolslavia in the final.
1970’s – Panenka dinks his way into the history books
West Germany play Czechoslovakia in the Euro 1976 final and with both sides level after extra-time, it goes to penalties with the coin toss long gone as a means of settlement. We all know that the Germans rarely miss in decisive shoot-outs. But on this occasion, they do, leaving Czech playmaker Antonin Panenka to dink his way into football history with a decisive and controversial spot-kick. An infamous soft chip-shot to the centre of the goal past the humiliated diving German keeper. A style of penalty now known and named after him as the pananeka.
1980’s – Koeman sullies German shirt
The Netherlands face West Germany in 1988, two years before the fall of the Berlin wall. There is bad blood between the Dutch and German neighbours dating back to German occupation during World War 2 and the Germans coming out on top in football games ever since. In a bad tempered semi-final, the Netherlands edge it 2-1 and their captain (and head coach in Euro 2024) Ronald Koeman swaps shirts with a German player as is customary, before breaking all acceptable norms of sportsmanship, and pretending to wipe his backside with it in front of the incandescent German fans.
1990’s: Denmark win Euro 1992 despite failing to qualify
Euro 1992 in Sweden was marked by the absence of the former Yugoslavia, who were disqualified due to the Balkans war, after qualifying for the finals. Step up the Danes, who cancel their summer holidays and turnup with minimal preparation to win the tournament against all odds as their Swedish hosts and neighbours watch on, beating favourites the Netherlands in the final.
2000’s: Italy go home amid match-fixing allegations
Denmark were at it again in 2004 when they faced Sweden in a final group game. The only result that would ensure both countries qualified and sent the Italians home was a 2-2 draw. What was the result? You’ve guessed it, a 2-2 draw, leaving the Italians to level allegations of match-fixing against the Scandinavian cousins, which were investigated but never proven.
2010’s: Iceland embarrass England
It’s 2016 and England, with a population of 60 million, face what seems like a straight forward last 16 knockout game against football minnows Iceland, with a population of little over 300,000. Wayne Rooney even puts England 1-0 up after four minutes and a rout is on the cards. Except it isn’t, as Iceland storm back to comfortably win 2-1 against a hapless England side. Eager to avoid a workplace dispute, head coach Roy Hodgson quits before he is sacked and England’s worst loss at a Euro’s ends in embarrassment and recrimination.
2020’s: England fans disgrace themselves
“It’s coming home” they chanted as the covid delayed Euro 2020 final came to Wembley in July 2021, where England faced Italy in their first major final since 1966. After playing most of the 2020-21 season without spectators to avoid the spread of the covid virus, many were surprised to learn that the final would be played before a capacity crowd. England lose to the Italian’s on penalties and all three England players to miss their penalties happen by chance to be black. English fans run riot leading to a major UEFA investigation and England’s penalty defaulters experience terrible racist abuse on social media.
Euro 2024 was a more peaceful tournament from England’s point of view with fans generally behaving themselves and controversies limited to criticism of England’s playing style and a few plastic cups hurled in the direction of head coach Gareth Southgate.
Open dialogue & better outcomes
Societal change is often a trigger for disputes and this can clearly be seen in some of the above incidents. At individual, team and national level, the opportunity for open dialogue, in a supportive framework such as mediation, can greatly improve the outcomes.
Some of the incidents above would have been unthinkable before their day…perhaps one day this will be a common chant:“Is there a mediator in the crowd?” sung by the crowd in unison.
