Photo of the Day | Panenka`s Chip Penalty!

The poet Antonin Panenka!

June 20, 1976.

In this European final, are in front of each other, the winner of the 1972 Euro tittle and 1974 World tittle, West Germany and Czechoslovakia (at that time).

After 90 minutes even in extra time, the score was 2-2. Both teams find themselves in penaltie series, kick out.

In fact, it will be the first time, in the finals of an international competition, that, after extra time, the winner will emerge from the execution of penalties.

The Czechs have taken all four penalties. Uli Hënes from Germans misses the fourth penalty for his team. The fifth penalty will have to be taken from Czechoslovakia and it will be declared the winner or another chance will be given to the Germans.

Against the best goalkeeper in the world, is the czech Antonin Panenka.

Europe holds its breath! Logically, the pressure is great for the “outsider” team of Czechoslovakia. The referee blows the whistle.

Panenka gathers momentum to shoot the ball. Without touching the ball with his foot, Majer jumps to his left wing and, at the same time, german keeper, Europe, and the entire World, see the ball travel slowly in a parabola from the distance of 11 meters to end up in the center of the goal, in the net. Such an execution of that penalty was never seen before….

Czechoslovakia is the Champion of Europe!

A French journalist, amazed by the execution of Panenka, in delirium calls him…

“Poet”!

That’s how Panenka was called for the first time after that penalty. If we follow the logic of the French, in the stadium “Crvena Zvezda” in Belgrade, a famous poem had just been created!

In fact, that penalty has remained in history not as a poem.

In Brazil it is called “Cavadinha – Little Digging”. In Argentina and many other South American countries, it is called “Picado – Pocket Penalty”. In Italy is very well known as “Cucchiaio” and later Totti will be the master of it…..

In this part of the world where we live, in Albania , it is called “Spoon”. In English it`s know as a   “Chip” style!

Life after the Panenka penalty , of course, went down in history (although it is believed that the “father” of the “Chip” penalty was the Welshman Billy Meredith).

Sepp Majer was said to be the protagonist in two of the most famous penalties known in the history of football.

After twenty years, 1996, Germany, now a single country, faced again, in the same final, this time with the Czech Republic , a few years after the latter’s separation from Slovakia.

The match again went to extra time. As the final was drawing to a close and Panenka had begun to enter the thoughts of all of Europe following the final, Oliver Bierhoff scored the golden goal, depriving the Czech Republic this time, perhaps a chance for the miracle to repeat itself!

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