Euro 2000 holds a special place in the hearts of many football fans, often hailed as the greatest international tournament ever witnessed. Held in Belgium and the Netherlands, the summer of 2000 was a spectacle of thrilling comebacks, unforgettable goals, captivating football, and all the tension and drama that define the European Championship. The final in Rotterdam, while perhaps not eclipsing the overall quality of the tournament, provided a fitting and dramatic conclusion to a memorable summer, cementing the French team’s legacy as one of the greatest international sides in history.
France against Italy in the Euro Championship 2000 final, a match remembered for its drama and golden goal.
In many respects, the French squad that triumphed at Euro Championship 2000 was even more formidable than the one that lifted the World Cup on home soil two years prior. While Aimé Jacquet had navigated the 1998 World Cup with a less heralded striker in Stéphane Guivarc’h, his successor Roger Lemerre enjoyed an embarrassment of riches in attack. He could call upon the talents of David Trezeguet, Nicolas Anelka, and the electrifying Thierry Henry.
The depth of attacking options available to Lemerre was truly astounding. Christophe Dugarry, Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord, Johan Micoud, Youri Djorkaeff, and the iconic Zinedine Zidane formed an attacking arsenal that is arguably one of the strongest ever assembled at a Euros. Furthermore, Les Bleus boasted a rock-solid defensive foundation. Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Bixente Lizarazu, and Laurent Blanc created a defensive wall as imposing as their attacking prowess was dazzling. Many argue that this French team was the most complete squad ever to compete in a European Championship.
On paper, comparing this French juggernaut to their Italian counterparts in the final, an Azzurri side not considered a vintage generation, suggested a straightforward French victory. However, Italy, with their deep pool of talented players and renowned resilience, were never going to be an easy opponent.
Coached by the legendary Dino Zoff, this Italian team was characterized by efficiency and compactness. Staying true to the classic Catenaccio approach, they had conceded a mere two goals throughout the tournament. They were determined to make France earn their victory.
Finals often become cagey affairs, dominated by the fear of making a costly mistake. The desire to avoid defeat can overshadow the ambition to win. In such tightly contested matches, moments of individual brilliance or forced errors are usually required to break the deadlock. Fortunately, this Euro Championship 2000 final was decided by flashes of genius.
The match began at a high tempo. Italy, embracing the underdog role, applied early pressure, with Marco Delvecchio of Roma causing problems for the French defense. Henry posed the main threat for France, unleashing a couple of his signature shots, but also drawing the attention of the robust Italian midfield, particularly Luigi Di Biagio.
The final truly ignited in the second half. In the 53rd minute, a moment of sheer brilliance unlocked the game. Francesco Totti, Italy’s standout performer on the day, produced an exquisite backheel flick to release Gianluca Pessotto down the right flank. Exploiting the first genuine space of the match after 54 minutes of tight play, Pessotto delivered a pinpoint cross that sailed past a lunging Desailly and found Delvecchio, who volleyed it emphatically into the net.
Retrospective series title card, highlighting the in-depth look back at the Euro Championship 2000 tournament.
France were visibly shaken and vulnerable. Totti began to find more space, creating further opportunities for Delvecchio and Alessandro Del Piero, both of whom squandered golden chances to extend Italy’s lead and seemingly secure the Euro Championship 2000 title.
France appeared to lack creative solutions. David Lacey, writing for The Guardian, described Zidane, the semi-final hero, as being “reduced to the role of a disembodied brain in a laboratory, still able to think but unable to make things happen.”
Recognizing the game slipping away, Lemerre turned to his substitutes. Despite limited prior managerial experience, famously including a stint with the French army, his substitutions in this Euro Championship 2000 final proved to be masterstrokes.
Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires, both soon to join Arsenal, and David Trezeguet were introduced – and all three played pivotal roles in France’s dramatic turnaround.
As the game crept agonizingly towards its conclusion, Italy remained resolute in defense, while France resorted to long balls. In the 93rd minute, French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez launched a long ball forward. Trezeguet managed to outmuscle Mark Iuliano, heading the ball towards the unmarked Wiltord. Wiltord controlled it perfectly with his chest and fired a low shot past Francesco Toldo and into the bottom corner.
It was a cruel blow for Toldo, who had performed superbly throughout the match, and for Italy, who had contained the world champions for so long. But for France, it was a lifeline, a golden opportunity in the truest sense.
While the preceding 90 minutes might have lacked attacking fluidity, the looming prospect of a golden goal in extra time transformed the atmosphere into breathless excitement. Energized by Wiltord’s equalizer, France seized control of possession and created a series of chances.
Pires, injecting dynamism into the French attack, collected the ball on the left wing, skillfully evaded two defenders, and chipped a cross towards Trezeguet. Trezeguet swivelled and unleashed a powerful half-volley that etched his name into football history, securing the Euro Championship 2000 for France with a golden goal.
For many, this victory was seen as a triumph of attacking football over a perceived negative Italian approach, despite Italy’s tactical effectiveness in reaching the final. The Daily Telegraph wrote the following day, perhaps somewhat harshly, “Purists and Parisians alike would have dismayed had Italy prevailed.”
In contrast, this dynamic and technically gifted French team, with their historic win, cemented their place among the pantheon of great international sides, alongside teams like Brazil 1970, West Germany 1976, and Spain 2012.
Many at the time speculated that this could mark the beginning of a new era of French dominance in international football. However, for the French captain Didier Deschamps, the moment was perfect in itself: “It’s never going to get any better than this.”
