Ask a Dutch about the semi-finals at the 2000 European Championships, and his hair will likely still hold. What was supposed to be a popular festival at the Amsterdam Arena has turned into a nightmare. Orange does not score against Italy after 120 minutes. De Boer and Kluivert had the opportunity to decide the match from 11 meters away, but both failed. Penalty kick trauma became bigger in the series, and along with again De Boer, Stam and Bosvelt also missed. The final was not for the Netherlands in their country, but for Italy, which lost to France on the extension.

Without a doubt it is the most heroic penalty shootout ever in a UEFA Champions League Final. In Moscow, Manchester United and Chelsea have to choose from 11 meters who will win the cup with big ears. The only one who missed United after five penalties: Cristiano Ronaldo. Chelsea have been kept flawless four times, giving captain John Terry the opportunity to give the Blues their first-ever European Champions League. Shouldn’t be, Terry slips and hits the post. United feeds confidence and no longer fails. Nicholas Anelka meets Edwin van der Sar with a seventh penalty. Tears of happiness with Ronaldo, Terry unbearable.

If yesterday’s penalties between Villarreal and Manchester United were spectacular, then the 2009 Greek Cup Final between Olympiacos and AEK Athens was just outlandish. This last battle really had it all. Two goals in extra time in normal time, two goals in extra time. Final score: 4-4. On the way there were also three red cards. The penalty shoot-out became the culmination of the most exclusive Greek Cup Final cake ever. In total, 34 penalties were required. Due to the abundance of red cards, it was the goalkeeper’s turn twice. Antoninus Nikopoulides of Olympiacos scored both and stopped the last AEK. An old-fashioned Greek drama.

A penalty chain is best known for what happened at the end of extra time. In the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup, Uruguay and Ghana are heading to penalties, until the Africans receive a free kick in the final seconds of the extension. Stephen Appiah appears to be working with this ball, but his ball is out of line with its final save. The only problem is that the alternate goalkeeper is Luis Suarez. Red for Suarez and a penalty kick for Ghana is the result. Asamoah Gyan got a chance to shoot Ghana to the semi-finals, but hit the crossbar. In the ensuing series of punishments, Gian is the first to take responsibility. He does not fail this time, but his colleagues fail. Sebastian ‘El Loco’ Abreu finishes it for Uruguay with Panenka. The African dream could not have exploded more painfully.

Belgium also has its own drama in penalty kicks. The chain between Racing Genk and Anderlecht in the Cup semi-finals in 2013 is engraved in the memory of many Belgians. In Luminus Arena, at least twenty penalties are needed to determine who can reach the Final. Genk gets a double chance to finish the match after wasting Denis Odoi and Milan Jovanovic, but Kalidou Coulibaly and Anil face excellent goalkeeper Silvio Broto, who stops four strikes. At the same time, Proto becomes the heroes of that night. When the Purple & White goalkeeper moves, he slides away and kicks the ball in the second ring. Then teammate Laszlo Cottles remains cold-blooded and shoots Genk in the cup final.

Liverpool – Middlesbrough in the third round of the League Cup. eggs RedsYou might think, but visitors sold their skin too expensive. Middlesbrough enforces an extension and draws back in the final seconds. Patrick Bamford defeats Simon Mignolet with a penalty kick. The series of penalties that follow is very similar to the one that happened at Villarreal – Manchester United yesterday. Bamford and Raheem Sterling miss first, then 20 consecutive penalties are struck. Even goalkeepers Mignolet and Jamal Blackman score together. In the end, it was visitor Albert Adumah who finally succumbed to the pressure in an astonishing 14-13 position.

Germany won the quarter-finals against Italy at Euro 2016 after an epic series in which the two teams kicked nine times. In retrospect, it is not the victory of “Manshaft”, but rather two Italian steps. Simone Zaza failed after a ridiculously slow lead, Graziano Pele signed a lap that also ended next to Manuel Noir’s goal. Today there is no trace of both gentlemen in “Squadra”, but because of these errors they will forever remain in the memory of fans of Italian football and the Internet. At the time, they enjoyed making a penalty for Lazza and Pele.