On This Day – 10th July
Former referee Henri Delaunay and fellow Frenchman Jules Rimet came up with the idea of the European Championship and it was on this day back in 1960 that the first European Championship Final took place.
The Soviet Union were the first winners of the tournament, beating Spain 2-1 in the Final in Paris. Sadly, Delaunay was unable to watch his creation be played out as he had died five years prior to the inaugural Championships.
The trophy was named the Henri Delaunay trophy in his honour, just like the World Cup was called the Jules Rimet trophy after as he founded the first tournament.
Delaunay sat on the board of FIFA and took part in a lot of administrative work in the sport’s governing body. He had previously been a player, before taking up refereeing, only to stop officiating after getting struck in the face with a ball. He swallowed his whistle and lost two teeth in the incident!
Unlike the World Cup, the European Championships trophy has stayed the same since it was first handed to the Soviet Union back in 1960, keeping the spirit of Henri Delaunay very much alive.
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