UEFA European Championships - Sweden 1992 to Poland / Ukraine 2012

Much has changed in the game in the 20 years between Sweden in 1992 and Poland-Ukraine in 2012.

But from Brolin in 1992



To Balotelli in 2012


The goal nets have stayed the same.

UEFA European Championships - West Germany 1988

After the second Mexico World Cup and FIFA decreeing goal nets everywhere would look the same, where better to hold the next major finals than West Germany, the home of the original Terminator?

The 1988 finals featured eight stadia, 15 games and Ronald Koeman wiping his arse with a German football shirt...

But the goal nets all looked the same.

UEFA European Championships - France 1984

1984 was Michele Platini's tournament, scoring nine goals in four of the seven host stadia:







Nantes



Saint Etienne



In the Final, against Spain in Paris



And most famously in the last minute of extra time in the semi final against Portugal in Marseille



The goal nets at each of the seven stadia were uniformly coloured - mostly black - and free-hanging and were the classically French - the same style can be seen at the inaugural Championship 24 years earlier.

As part of the McDonaldization of the game at the 1986 World Cup, FIFA decided goal nets everywhere would look the same so today, the goal nets at France 1984 are a period piece, the last time you could watch a game at a major Championship and pick where the game was being played by the design of the nets.

 One last look at those in Lyon...

UEFA European Championships - Italy 1980

The 1980 finals featured 8 teams in two groups of 4. The number of host stadia also increased, from two to four. There, the goal nets generally hung from curvy A-frames in a hybrid fashion:

Stadio Olimpico, Rome


Stadio Communale, Turin

  

San Siro, Milan


Stadio San Paolo, Naples

UEFA European Championships - Yugoslavia 1976

Antonin Panenka's audacious penalty kick in the final may have become the defining image of the 1976 tournament, and without question, Belgrade's stylish Continental D's inspired copycats everywhere, from Manchester City to Subbuteo.

But the Czech's victory over favourites Holland in the semis in the rain at Zagreb is the game everybody remembers...



 Check out those little D's; they're like Sheffield Wednesday's

UEFA European Championships - Belgium 1972

In the '72 final at the doomed Heysel stadium, West Germany swept three past the Soviet Union into the Wembley look-a-likes.




Of more interest to us devotees of the goalnets, check out the semis' sexy curves at -

Antwerp (Bosuil Stadium)



Brussels (Stade Emile Verse)

UEFA European Championships - Italy 1968

England qualified for the 1968 Finals after beating Scotland 1-0 at Hampden Park. The Scots had their revenge though, seemingly flying in the famous Hampden goals for Yugoslavia to score a late winner.



Yugoslavia went on to play hosts Italy, who won in a replay at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, where the goals look like they've been flown in from England's Wembley Stadium!