1972, Belgium

Winner: West Germany | Runner-up: USSR

Most of the drama in the 1972 edition took place in the quarter-finals with the final-four tournament in Belgium something of an anti-climax. Italy, the defending champions and only two years on from reaching the World Cup final, were knocked out by Belgium in the quarter-finals while England went out to West Germany two years after losing to them at the same stage in the World Cup.

In the semi-finals, Belgium lost 1-2 to West Germany while the Soviet Union maintained their impressive championship pedigree with a 1-0 win over Hungary -- watched by a crowd of less than 2,000 -- to reach their third final in four attempts.

The Germans, however, with Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Mueller, Uli Hoeness, Guenter Netzer and goalkeeper Sepp Mair, were far too strong and won comfortably 3-0 with two goals for Mueller and one for Herbert Wimmer.

Top goal scorer:

G Muller (Germany) -- 4

Also see:

• 1960, France
  
• 1964, Spain
  
• 1968, Italy
  
• 1976, Yugoslavia
  
• 1980, Italy
  
• 1984, France
  
• 1988, West Germany
  
• 1992, Sweden
  
• 1996, England
  
• 2000, Belgium and Holland