SLAM! SPORTS: 2000 IN REVIEW

France wins Euro 2000

Summary

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- With just 30 seconds to go, the Italians were looking forward to celebrating their first European Championship triumph in 32 years.

It turned out to be a historic French Euro success to go with their 1998 World Cup triumph.

Sylvain Wiltord scored an injury time equalizer and David Trezeguet the "golden goal" winner to break Italians hearts as France triumphed 2-1 in the Euro 2000 final.

France, which won the Euro title for the first time since 1984, became the first World Cup holder to collect the European title during its reign.

France's David Trezeguet, left, and Sylvain Wiltord celebrate their 2-1 victory over Italy in the Euro 2000 final at the De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam, The Netherlands Sunday July 2, 2000. Wiltord first equalized in the fourth minute of injury time and Trezeguet scored the ``golden goal'' which gave Les Bleus a European championship on top of its world title. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle)

The Italians, never expected to go so far, were seconds away from a hard-earned triumph in a thrilling final in Rotterdam but wound up with the losers medals after a dramatic final far better than had been expected.

"Everybody thought we were dead," said Thierry Henry. "With the French team, it is never over. I was pretty annoyed the Italians were already thinking of victory. They were clapping hands and high-fiving. It was bothering me so I was really happy when the ball went in."

Many of the Italians dropped to the ground in dismay and disbelief after going so close to glory.

"I think a thing like this you won't forget for a lifetime," said Italian defender Alessandro Nesta who had another standout game at the back. "Thirty seconds from the end and it all goes up in air."

Marco Delvecchio volleyed home a right-wing cross from Gianluca Pessotto to fire the Italians ahead in the 57th minute and their supporters were celebrating victory a little too early.

In the 90th minute, Wiltord got clear on the left and fired a right-footed, angled shot across overworked Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo and inside the far post to force the final into extra time.

In extra time both teams came close to scoring the sudden-death golden goal, but it was France who completed an amazing come-from-behind triumph. Robert Pires danced around the Italian defenders on the left and pulled the ball back into the centre where Trezeguet was waiting to power it past Toldo into the net.

The French fans behind the goal erupted while the Italians at the other end couldn't believe it.

Team captain Didier Deschamps, center, holds the cup, while other French players, left to right, Zinedine Zidane, Emmanuel Petit and Marcel Desailly cheer at the end of the final match France against Italy at the Euro 2000 soccer championships in Rotterdam's De Kuip stadium Sunday July 2, 2000. France won 2-1. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic)

"It's historic, we did a double," Deschamps said after collecting another trophy.

"It is the willpower of the team that did it," said French coach Roger Lemerre. "The team wanted this trophy since the day it won the World Cup.

"We said that, if there was a second left, we had to go all out for it. The miracle happened and we caused it."

Italian coach Dino Zoff, who won the title as a player in 1968, appeared to be on course to become the first man to also win the title as a coach. He remained proud of his players.

"We proved Italian soccer can battle against anyone," said Zoff who has endured months of criticism from the Italian media.

"When you feel victory is in your hands and it slips away it takes a lot out of your spirit. But it was a great effort.

"I'm really sorry, but this is soccer."

It was supposed to be a slow-paced matchup with French flair trying to break down the tough Italian defence, but that's not how the game started.

Italian captain Paolo Maldini cleared from Youri Djorkaeff after a break by Henry and French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was then forced to race off his line to clear off the toes of Delvecchio.

All in the first 90 seconds.

In the fourth minute Francesco Totti rose to reach a left-wing corner from Stefano Fiore but his poor header was wide. Minutes later, Italian goalkeeper Toldo, who had a standout semifinal against the Dutch, simply stood motionless and watched a snap right-wing shot from Henry hit the post and bounce clear.

Luigi Di Biagio was shown the yellow card for halting a great 30-metre run by Henry just as he was about to shoot a few metres outside the area and Toldo had to make great reflex action save, diving low to his right to hold a shot from the Arsenal striker after Christophe Dugarry's run and pass.

With French playmaker Zinedine Zidane coming more and more into the game and Henry's speed worrying the Italians, the French created more openings in the second half.

The Italians sent on Alessandro Del Piero for Fiore in the 52nd minute and took the lead four minutes later.

It should have been 2-0 in the 58th minute when Totti put Del Piero clear on the left side of goal but the Juventus forward rolled his shot wide of the far post with only Barthez to beat.

Henry had a chance to tie it in the 68th minute when the Italians failed to clear a Zidane free kick from the right but Toldo's legs blocked his angled, close-range shot at the far post.

But Italy almost scored another seven minutes from the end when Del Piero was again all alone. But Barthez blocked the shot with his leg

In extra time, Del Piero had a chance to finish the match when he collected a well placed pass from Demetrio Albertini only to turn and curl his left-footed shot far too high.

Zidane fired a free kick over the bar and then had an acrobatic shot deflected behind before the Pires-Wiltord combination won the title for France.

Summary

Italy-France, Sums At Rotterdam, Netherlands
Italy 0 1 0--1
France 0 1 1--2
First half--None.
Second half--1, Italy, Marco Delvecchio (Gianluca Pessotto), 55th minute. 2, France, Sylvain Wiltord, 90th minute.
Overtime--3, France, David Trezeguet (Robert Pires), 103rd minute.
Yellow Cards--Di Biagio, Ita, 31st; Cannavaro, Ita, 42nd; Thuram, Fra, 60th; Totti, Ita, 90th. Red Cards--None.
Shots--Italy 10 (Del Piero 3, Delvecchio 3, Totti 2, Albertini, Di Biagio); France 19 (Henry 4, Zidane 3, Wiltord 2, Thuram 2, Lizarazu, Vieira, Blanc, Djorkaeff, Deschamps, Desailly, Pires, Trezeguet).
Shots on goal--Italy 3 (Delvecchio, Del Piero, Di Biagio), France 12 (Henry 4, Wiltord 2, Thuram 2, Blanc, Djorkaeff, Pires, Trezeguet).
Fouls committed--Italy 29 (Totti 7, Del Piero 4, Ambrosini 3, Montella 3, Maldini 2, Nesta 2, Iuliano 2, Delvecchio 2, Albertini, Cannavaro, Pessotto, Di Biagio); France 18 (Vieira 3, Zidane 3, Lizarazu 2, Deschamps 2, Desailly 2, Henry 2, Thuram 2, Trezeguet 2).
Fouls sustained--Italy 18 (Totti 5, Delvecchio 3, Cannavaro 2, Nesta 2, Ambrosini 2, Albertini, Del Piero, Toldo, Iuliano); France 29 (Henry 6, Vieira 4, Lizarazu 3, Deschamps 3, Desailly 3, Thuram 3, Blanc, Djorkaeff, Zidane, Pires, Wiltord, Barthez, Trezeguet).
Corner kicks--Italy 4, France 7.
Offsides--Italy 7 (Montella 2, Delvecchio 2, Del Piero, Fiore, Totti); France 6 (Henry 4, Wiltord, Dugarry).
Referee--Anders Frisk, Sweden. Linesmen--Leif Lindberg, Sweden; Jens Larsen, Denmark.
A--48,000.
Lineups
Italy--Francesco Toldo, Paolo Maldini, Demetrio Albertini, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Pessotto, Alessandro Nesta, Luigi Di Biagio (Massimo Ambrosini, 66th), Mark Iuliano, Stefano Fiore (Alessandro Del Piero, 53rd), Francesco Totti, Marco Delvecchio (Vincenzo Montella, 86th).
France--Fabien Barthez; Lilian Thuram, Bixente Lizarazu (Robert Pires, 86th), Patrick Vieira, Laurent Blanc; Youri Djorkaeff (David Trezeguet, 76th), Didier Deschamps, Marcel Desailly, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Christophe Dugarry (Sylvain Wiltord, 58th).