While we head into a Euro likely to beat ticket sales and attendance, let's look at the top historical memories from Euros.
First up, and the most recent historical moment, came just three years ago when England won the Euros at home at Wembley. Their first-ever International trophy on the women's side. Plus, the first Euros for England after England men lost at the same stadium a year earlier to Italy on penalties. They hold the record for the highest-ever attendance at a single Euros game, 87,192 fans under the Wembley Arch, and set a mark of over half a million attendance during the tournament. The match saw an audience of 17.4 million on TV, making it the most-watched women’s football game on UK television.
The first Women's Euros final in 1984 was played over two legs, between England and Sweden. The two-legged format was used for the semi-finals and final in the inaugural tournament. Sweden won the competition after a penalty shootout in the second leg. The first leg was held in Gothenburg, Sweden, where the home side won 1-0. The second leg occurred in Luton, England, where the home side won 1-0. They had to determine the winner in a penalty shootout, where Sweden won 4-3. This was the only Women's Euro final to be decided by penalties.
2001 final again with Sweden, and then Germany saw an unlikely rule be used, the only time the tournament used the golden goal rule. The rule was a system used in extra time to determine the winner. When the match went to extra time, if a team scored during extra time, the game ended immediately, and that team was declared the winner. which meant the game avoided the need for a penalty shootout.
Germany beat Sweden at home in Ilm in front of 21,000 fans to improve on the German Golden reign of 1989-2013. They won 8 titles, including six consecutive tournaments from 1995 to 2013, the last time they ever won a major women's title. They set the standards for women's football and followed in the German men's football as being 's football and followed in the German men's football as being a dominant force in football.'s football and followed in the German men's football as being a dominant force in football's football and followed in the German men's football as being a dominant force in football.a dominant force in football.
Norway in 1993 broke the German streak of victories, after Germany won the first official UEFA tournament in 1989, Norway became the second-ever winner defeating Italy 1-0 in the final. It signalled the growth of the competition across Europe and Norways emergence as a women's football powerhouse unlike the men's side.
Like England the Netherlands in 2017 won the home tournament Euros, ironically with the same manager in Sarina Wiegman. They were led by the WSL all time goalscorer in Vivianne Miedema. The Dutch team won their first major title beating Denmark 4-2 in a thrilling final. This was massive not just to win your first trophy but to do it in front of a massive home crowd with seas of Orange-clad fans creating a festival atmosphere.
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