50th Anniversary of Czechoslovakia's Victory at the 1976 European Football Championship

A footballer with the ball at his right foot, flanked on both sides by curving branches. A gently curved line beneath the player's feet suggests the texture of the pitch. The issuing state 'SLOVENSKO' and the year '2026' appear along the lower edge, while the commemorative inscription 'MAJSTRI EURÓPY 1976' is worked into the design.

The penalty shootout at Belgrade's Crvena Zvezda stadium on 20 June 1976 is still regarded as one of the most dramatic finals in the history of the European football championships. Czechoslovakia defeated the West German team — then the reigning world champions — 5:3 on penalties, after the match had ended 2:2 following 90 minutes and extra time. Antonín Panenka converted the decisive penalty with a now-legendary chip down the middle of the goal, a technique that has borne his name ever since. For Czechoslovakia it was the first and only European Championship title — a triumph achieved by a shared state that split in 1993 into the present-day Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The question of who this historic triumph belongs to has since been claimed by both successor states — and rightly so: the 1976 team was a united Czechoslovak selection featuring players from both parts of the country. Slovakia maintains this legacy as part of its national sporting history. Coach Václav Ježek led a team that was internationally regarded at the time as tactically disciplined and technically strong; the final victory over Germany was no surprise, but the result of a convincing tournament. On the 50th anniversary of this victory, Slovakia honours the event in 2026 with a 2-euro commemorative coin.