Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWhen Antonn Panenka stepped up to take his penalty in the 1976 European Championship final shootout against West Germany, few of the 30,790 fans in attendance would have known they were about to see one of the games most famous spot-kicks of all time.With Uli Hoeness having just missed his penalty, Panenka was handed the opportunity to win the tournament and duly delivered with an audaciously chipped spot-kick that has gone down in football lexicon.More than 50 years on, Panenka has reflected with FourFourTwo on the political backdrop to the final, the pressure he faced and the confidence he had to attempt one of the boldest penalties the game has ever seen.Panenka on his iconic penaltyThe 1976 European Championship took place in Yugoslavia, with four teams West Germany and the Netherlands from Western Europe, Yugoslavia and ourselves from the East, Panenka recalls. The 1970s was a politically tense period and, on that occasion, the two political blocs were facing each other on the pitch. We beat the Netherlands in the semi-finals, and West Germany defeated Yugoslavia.In the final in Belgrade, we felt like outsiders because the Germans were reigning world and European champions. On paper, they were stronger. That said, we certainly didnt feel weak we had nothing to lose. You may like Germany make World Cup history with first-ever penalty shootout defeat Asamoah Gyan exclusive: 'I dont hate Luis Suarez for his handball. Id have done the same thing' Our World Cup final loss didnt sink in for decades that was the opportunity of a lifetime Italy goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca on losing the 1994 World Cup final Prior to the game, the West Germany squad were keen to avoid the possibility of a replay, meaning they put in an unusual request which ultimately set the scene for Panenkas moment of triumph.Before the match, something curious happened, with direct consequences on the final result, the 77-year-old continues. I believe it came from some German players wanting to go on holiday as soon as possible before kick-off, we were asked whether wed agree to move on to penalties in the event of a draw, instead of replaying the game. Naturally, we accepted, because nobody was enthusiastic about facing Germany twice, and in the end we made the right decision.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The match finished 2-2 and, after a series of penalties that were successfully converted, Uli Hoeness blasted his over the bar. At that point, it was my turn to take the decisive penalty, to win us our first major international trophy. I felt surprisingly calm. Months before, Id already decided that if I had to take a penalty, Id do it my way, with a chip. Id done it many times in the league and never missed, but footage of our matches never reached Western Europe, so nobody knew how I took penalties.I was confident because Id practised endlessly from the spot with Bohemians. After training, the keeper and I used to bet a chocolate bar or a beer on penalty shootouts. He was very good, and at first he saved many of them, until I started using my little chip down the middle. From then on, there was no contest any more because I kept winning, I even started putting on a little weight!Of course, had I missed my penalty in the European Championship final in that fashion, I would have made both my country and the Communist Party look ridiculous, and they probably would have forced me to work in a factory, or even down a mine for the next 50 years. But I knew that it was the right thing to do in that moment.I remember discussing it at the camp with my room-mate Koloman Gogh, telling him that if I got the chance, Id definitely do it. He almost lost his mind and told me that if I tried it, he wouldnt let me back into our room afterwards. The story spread. Even goalkeeper Ivo Viktor disagreed with me, but my other team-mates and our coach Vaclav Jezek told me to do whatever felt right. Well, I stepped up and did it. Sepp Maier dived to his left and the ball floated gently, just as I knew it would, into the centre of the net, slowly and mockingly.There were multiple consequences. First of all, we won the European Championship, which remains the only major title our national team has ever won. Then Koloman stayed true to his word and wouldnt let me back into our room to sleep! Fortunately, two friends from my hometown, whod emigrated to Canada and become fairly wealthy, had bought tickets for the final, as well as a room in a beautiful hotel in the city centre. I ended up sleeping there the next morning, I woke up and had breakfast with champagne and caviar for the first and only time in my life!The night beforehand, I was the only player still wearing our national team shirt during the trophy ceremony. My team-mates had already swapped shirts with the Germans I hadnt even thought about that, completely overwhelmed by the joy of that victory and the way it happened. Purely by chance, I became a hero back home, not only from a footballing perspective, but politically as well, as an example of devotion to my country and its colours. Later, an audio recording even surfaced of our countrys president asking whod actually won the trophy, given that the podium seemed almost exclusively full of West Germany shirts!TOPICSCzechoslovakiaEuropean ChampionshipJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromDaniele Verri
