Unlike the World Cup, the European Championship has always been kinder to underdogs.
It has treated lesser teams with a kid's glove instead of felling them with a ruthless knockout punch.
The triumph of Greece in Euro 2004 is one of the greatest fairy tales in the history of football.
Denmark's victory in 1992 was no less fascinating given the fact that the Scandinavian country entered the tournament only as a last-minute replacement for war-torn Yugoslavia.
The World Cup is all about powerful football countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Italy and Germany.
England and France, no minnows by any stretch of imagination, have won a title apiece.
In terms of population and economic strength, Uruguay, the two-time winners, can never be compared with the biggies but they were double Olympic champions when they scooped the inaugural edition of the World Cup, they incidentally staged in 1930.
Spain now have a chance to complete a unique treble of holding three major championships after winning Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.
West Germany had been in the same position 36 years ago. If not for Czechoslovakia's giant-killing act in the final, the Germans would have added the Euro 1976 trophy to their cupboard, which was already glistening with the Euro 1972 and 1974 World Cup titles.
The final between Czechoslovakia and West Germany went to a shootout after the contest ended 2-2 at the end of extra time.
If the scoreline was surprising, what followed was a shocker: the Germans lost in the shootout. In the first major final to be decided on penalties, Czechoslovakia won 5-4.
After Uli Hoeness blazed his effort — his team's fourth from the spot — over the bar, Antonin Panenka clinched the trophy for the Czechs with an audacious chip.
Czechoslovakia had been the least fancied team to go all the way among the four semifinalists that also included Cruyff's Netherlands and hosts Yugoslavia.
Germany had never lost a shootout in a World Cup or Euro after the heartbreak in 1976. Steeled by the disappointment of Euro 1976, the Germans went on to win the next edition staged at Italy.
Their opponents in the final were Belgium, not a heavyweight in European football in any era. Reaching the title round remains Belgium’s best ever performance in a major competition.
Denmark hadn’t even qualified for Euro 1992; most of their players were in holiday or on their way. But fate had other plans as Yugoslavia's qualification was annulled as a result of unrest in the Balkan country.
Denmark had only two weeks to prepare for the tournament. But they went on to claim the ultimate trophy — against massive odds — in European football with a 2-0 win over Germany in the final.
Whenever the romantic rise of underdogs in sport is discussed, Denmark's journey from holiday hot spots to the summit of Europe will not be forgotten.
In 2004, Greece went from no-hopers to Euro champions in the space of six matches. The defensive tactics adopted by German coach Otto Rehhagel won them no fans but what mattered ultimately was the result. Greece had not won a match in a Euro or a World Cup before 2004.
But the 100-1 outsiders in Portugal cornered glory thanks to Angelos Charisteas’s winner in the final against hosts.
The champions proved that their 2-1 win over Portugal in the opening match of the tournament was no fluke with a 1-0 victory against the hosts in the final. No wonder Rehhagel became King Otto in Greece.