FRANCE 98 – Saint-Etienne Stadium

In the 70s and 80s, the Geoffroy – Guichard stadium was the scene of many a triumph for the men in green as they fought their way successfully through successive European Cup campaigns.

But one match in particular stands out in the annals of the Saint-Etienne stadium. This was the France vs Yugoslavia game, the host nation’s third game in the European Nations Cup, which took place on 19 June 1984 in front of a crowd of nearly 46,000. Three days earlier, the French team had pulverised Belgium at Nantes (5-0), three of the goals being notched up by a scintillating Michel Platini. And at Saint-Etienne he did it again, scoring the three goals that brought victory to his side, the first with a typically accurate shot, the second a header, and the third a “Platiniesque” free-kick from outside the box. It was arguably the great No. 10’s best performance in a French jersey. Eight days later he lifted the European Nations Cup for France.