The Czech Republic will return to Wembley during this international break, three decades after the stadium hosted the final chapter of one of the most remarkable tournaments in the country’s football history.
The Czechs face England twice in Nations League Group A3, first in Prague on Tuesday before travelling to London for the return fixture on 6 October. The Wembley meeting comes 30 years after the Czech Republic reached the Euro 1996 final in its first European Championship following the break-up of Czechoslovakia.
Few expected the newly formed national side to challenge for the title. Most of the squad still played in the domestic league, and several players had arranged holidays for immediately after the group stage. Vladimir Smicer had even planned his wedding.
The tournament began badly with a 2-0 defeat by Germany at Old Trafford, but a 2-1 victory over Italy at Anfield transformed the campaign. Smicer then scored late in a 3-3 draw with Russia, a result that sent the Czechs into the knockout stage after Italy failed to beat Germany.
Their quarter-final against Portugal produced one of the competition’s defining moments. Karel Poborsky lifted the ball over goalkeeper Vitor Baia from the edge of the penalty area to secure a 1-0 victory at Villa Park.
France stood between the Czech Republic and the final. After a goalless semi-final at Old Trafford, the Czechs won the penalty shootout 6-5, with Pavel Nedved, Patrik Berger and Poborsky among those converting from the spot.
Smicer briefly returned to Prague two days before the final to get married, with thousands of supporters gathering in the city centre, before he travelled back to England the same day.
At Wembley, Berger put the Czech Republic ahead from the penalty spot after 59 minutes. Germany responded through Oliver Bierhoff, who equalised 14 minutes later before scoring the first golden goal in a major international final to seal the title.
The defeat denied the Czechs a European crown, but the run changed the careers of several players. Berger later joined Liverpool, while Poborsky moved to Manchester United, and the tournament helped establish a generation of Czech players across Europe.
When the squad returned home, around 100,000 supporters gathered in Prague to welcome them. Three decades later, Wembley remains inseparable from the Czech Republic’s unforgettable Euro 96 campaign.