S.L. Benfica in European football Benfica fell in the second round against Scottish team and eventual finalists Celtic in a coin toss decision. After a mildly successful period in the 1960s, where they stood among the top contenders, Southern European teams started to lose influence in the European stage during the 1970s, as Dutch and German teams appeared stronger. In the 1971–72 European Cup, Benfica lost in the semi-finals to a Johan Cruyff-led Ajax on their way to a second consecutive win. Benfica reached the quarter-finals of the 1974–75 European Cup Winners' Cup, before being eliminated by another Dutch team, PSV Eindhoven. Over the course
National team appearances in the UEFA European Championship National team appearances in the UEFA European Championship This article lists the performances of each of the 33 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the UEFA European Football Championship finals. As of UEFA Euro 2016. Each successive UEFA European Championship from 1960 onwards has had at least one team appearing for the first time. Teams in parentheses are considered successor teams by FIFA. A total of 33 UEFA members have reached the final tournaments, and 20 of the current members have yet to have ever reached them. For each tournament, the number of teams in each