1964 MARCELINO - Retro Football Shirt

For 44 years, Marcelino's goal in the 1964 European Championship final was considered the most important in Spanish football, and although La Roja has continued to make history since 2008, no one can take away this Galician's honor of being the first to bring joy to the Federation's trophy cabinet.

On June 21, 1964, Spain faced the USSR at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in the European Championship final. The Soviet team featured the imposing goalkeeper Lev Yashin, who months earlier had become the first goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or. Their opponents boasted a fearsome attack.

The match began with a goal by Chus Pereda in the 6th minute, which was countered two minutes later by Kushainov. The match remained tied until the 84th minute when, with a perfect header, Marcelino beat the Russian goalkeeper after a cross from Pereda on the right wing. Before the ball crossed the line, Pereda himself shook off a Russian defender with a beautiful "cow's tail" dribble, a move that Spanish fans couldn't witness until 2008.

It was then that we in Spain gained access to the Soviet television broadcast. NO-DO, the only channel in Spain that could see those images, had missed the exact moment of the cross and, before Marcelino's historic goal, showed a pass from Amancio that didn't correspond at all to that play. That's how we lived for many years, but today, thankfully, the goal is complete.