The story behind the Panenka Penalty Kick

CAIRO – 23 June 2017: One of the interesting things about football is its unknown stories. Among these stories comes the story of the Panenka penalty kick. Many people think that the Panenka is just a simple chip shot in the middle of the goal used to trick goalkeepers. However, this is not the case the Panenka has an interesting story behind it.

The story goes back to the final of the 1976 European Championships between Germany and Czechoslovakia.

Germany and Czechoslovakia reached the penalty shoot-outs after having a 2-2 draw in the European Championship Final on June 20, 1976. The former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeneß from the Western Germany National missed the fourth penalty for Western Germany.

Antonin Panenka stepped up for the penalty ball thinking that he could leave as champion, or he could become the symbol of failure and defeat.

He wondered where to shoot the ball? Do I give it a small chip in the middle of the goal? Will he save it? Do I play it safe and shoot it with power on the left or right side?
While at the same time one of Germany’s greatest Goalkeepers Sepp Maier worried about where the ball would go. Will it go on the right? Will he shoot on the left? Will he shoot high or low?

The answers to these questions came like a cold shower to Maier! The shot went just in the middle with a small chip. Panenka was crowned the champion winning the 1976 European Championships for Czechoslovakia by 5-3 in penalties.
The style he used to shoot the penalty kick was named after him due to it being unique and unknown at the time.

He did not know that this chip would be later used to trick goalkeepers during big games. Aaron Ramsey was the last player to use the Panenka on June 11 against Serbia in Rajko Mitic Stadium. This coincidence occurred in the exact same stadium some 41 years earlier. Unfortunately, Ramsey did not know where or how the story began.