Tossed and final. Two penalties that went down in the history of Czech football

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When taking a careful look at how the Czechoslovak and Czech enforcers behaved during penalty kicks – whether in matches or after them in shootouts – it becomes clear that they performed extremely competently and created a unique superpower in this regard. Out of twenty-four attempts, they failed only once.

Only the premiere remained unchanged…

The first continental championship, still played as the Cup of European Nations, was accompanied by great distrust – only seventeen UEFA member associations signed up.

Unlike other countries, the Czechoslovak team did not put the new competition on hold. “We lived in a socialist camp, it was hard to get out. That’s why we took advantage of every opportunity,” recalled midfielder Josef Masopust, who gradually but persistently lit up his star career.

Los first put the Irish (2:0 and 4:0), then the Danes (2:2 and 5:1) in front of coach Rudolf Vytlacil’s team, and in the quarterfinals they successfully matched Romania (2:0 and 3:0).

And suddenly there was the final tournament. At that time there were only four participants, it was held in sweet France. Everyone was looking forward to it.

The semi-final against the Soviet Union took place on July 6, 1960 in Marseille.

And it was a highly hyped fight with political overtones. “We were always keen on the Russians and wanted to humble them,” admitted striker Josef Vojta, who moved to the heavenly field last March, during his memories of the match. “We also scattered some notes, but rather quietly,” he added, believing that everyone would understand where they were going.

Unfortunately, the Soviet Union was clearly in control of the game. Valentin Ivanov scored twice (in the 34th and 58th minutes), Viktor Ponědělnik struck another blow at Schrojf’s goal in the 66th minute. A moment later, however, came a great opportunity to correct the situation and perhaps even hope to do something with the match – a penalty kick.

Vojto took the ball. “In Ústí and in Sparta, I kicked penalties regularly, and coach Vytlazil appointed me as an executor,” he explained, explaining why he was trusted. Although he sent the Russian goalkeeper Lev Yašin to the other side, he did not hit the goal. “That’s the bottom line,” he realized. He thus missed the chance to brag about beating one of the best goalkeepers of the century. “It would certainly have weight,” he regretted until the end of his sports career.

It was not easy to face the penalty kick. The giant Jašin was afraid when he spread his arms – moving on the line was still forbidden at that time – there was almost nowhere to place the ball. Although Vojta won the battle of nerves, he sent his opponent to the other side, but then he missed the shot.

So Jašin succeeded in the end. “Why not admit it, he kept us in the whole game, he grabbed several clear chances,” Ponědělnik attributed to him a great deal of credit for advancing to the final. “Czechoslovakia had a great team, players like Masopust, Schrojf, Buberník or Novák would be the decoration of any team,” emphasized the Soviet shooter.

This was proven in the fight for third place, when the Czechoslovak team beat the disappointed home team France 2-0 with the goals of Vlastimil Bubník – an otherwise famous hockey player who won European medals on ice as well – and Ladislav Pavlovič, who failed to maintain a three-goal lead in the semi-finals against Yugoslavia.

Although the Czechoslovak national team brought the first post-war – and socialist – success on the international stage, there were no big celebrations. “Relatives and a few journalists greeted us at Ruzyna. And then several papalášas from ČSTV,” recalled Vojta. They patted the bronze medalists on the shoulders and shook their hands.

Acceptance at the highest level was not considered at all, let alone any social or even financial award.

Czechoslovakia – Soviet Union 0:3 (0:1)

After Vojt’s failure, the ball was placed on the penalty kick mark only in shootouts after a tie. The prowess of the Czechoslovak shooters was decorated with gold from the European Championship 1976 and bronze from the European Championship 1980.

And also during the first participation of the already separate Czech team at Euro 1996 in England, the shots from the penalty kick rang with precious metal, with the help of which coach Dušan Uhrin’s team pushed through to the final over favored France.

However, the Czech Republic gained the advantage of the penalty kick – this time a real penalty – in the final against Germany, i.e. in the rematch of the encounter from the basic group. In the 59th minute, Matthias Sammer knocked down the escaping Poborský, the Italian referee Pierluigi Pairetto pointed to the white dot.

Incorrect, the intervention occurred in front of the penalty area. “But it wasn’t better for us, it would have helped us more if the offender had been expelled in accordance with the rules,” coach Uhrin stands by his conviction, pointing out that Sammer was a key player for the opponent. After all, in 1996 he bragged about winning the Golden Ball for the best footballer in Europe.

Berger converted the penalty, a sharp shot went under the body of goalkeeper Andreas Köpke. He did not accept the objection that his attempt was not very successful and there was a danger that the German goalkeeper would catch the ball. “But he didn’t catch,” he admitted no questioning discussion on the subject.

Unfortunately, it did not lead to winning the gold, the Czech team could enjoy the idea of ​​the European championship title, which they would win after twenty years, only for a quarter of an hour. Ten minutes later, coach “Berti” Vogts, the 1974 World Champion, put down his sledgehammer.

Substitute striker Oliver Bierhoff broke through the Czech defense twice. First, after a standard situation, he equalized with his head and sent the game to extra time, in which he gained ground after a turn from the edge of the penalty area, when the ball slipped through the hands of the goalkeeper Petr Koub. “I will always blame myself,” the overcome Czech goalkeeper keeps coming back to the unfortunate moment.

Although the intervention came five minutes after the start of extra time, the Czech players could not react to the blow, for the first time the rule of the so-called golden goal was applied, when the match was immediately ended, modeled after hockey’s “sudden death”. Whoever scored won.

The Germans celebrated the title. The first after the union of the two states divided after the war. Third overall in history, but so far the last.

Czech Republic–Germany 1:2 after extra time (0:0, 1:1)