euro 2000 group b - Historical Football Kits

UEFA Euro 2000 Group B

euro 2000 logo Co-hosts Belgium, playing all their games in the rebuilt Heysel Stadium (now named after King Baudouin) were expected to progress along with Italy from Group B but were undone by Turkey in their final group game. The Italian team wore figure-hugging tops supplied by Kappa with reversed seams, cut to flatter the physique of professional athletes and deter shirt-pulling.

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Group B

Belgium

Sweden

Belgium 2 Sweden 1

King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels (46,700)
10 June 2000

Belgium produced the goods in the opening match of the tournament, goals either side of half-time earning them three points. Mjällby pulled one back after a mistake by Belgium's goalkeeper in the 53rd minute.

Italy

Turkey

Italy 2 Turkey 1

Geiredome, Arnhem (25,000)
1 June 2000

Italy had to work hard to overcome a lively Turkish team roared on by a substantial and noisy support. Okan Buruk cancelled out Italy's lead in the 62nd minute and it took a penalty, scored by Inzaghi eight minutes later to secure the points for the Azzuri.

Italy

Belgium

Italy 2 Belgium 0

King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels (44,500)
14 June 2000

Italy were solid in defence, strong in the attack and simply too good for Belgium. After taking the lead in the sixth minute, Italy withstood determined attacking by the co-hosts before Fiore and Inzaghi combined on the counter and the former finished neatly after 66 minutes.

Sweden

Turkey

Sweden 0 Turkey 0

Phillips Stadion, Eindhoven (28,560)
15 June 2000

After defeats in their opening games, both sides needed a win but there was little enterprise or creativity on show and a scrappy encounter ended goal-less.

Turkey

Belgium

Turkey 2 Belgium 0

King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels (43,000)
19 June 2000

Few doubted that Belgium would get the draw they needed to progress against the group outsiders but Turkey did not follow the script. Two goals by Hakan Şükür and an heroic performance by the goalkeeper gave Turkey an unlikely win, their first in six matches in the Euro finals, and a place in the next round.

Italy

Sweden

Italy 2 Sweden 1

Philips Stadion, Eindhoven (33,000)
19 June 2000

Already assured of progress, Italy rested eight players and still proved too strong for Sweden, although they needed a late goal by Del Piero to seal the win.