1. The European Cup first employed penalty shootouts to determine the champion.2. The 1976 European Championship final marked the inaugural use of penalties to decide the winner.3. That year's final took place in Belgrade, pitting Czechoslovakia against West Germany.4. After regular and extra time, the score was tied at 2-2, leading to a penalty shootout.5. Czechoslovakia emerged victorious in the penalty series with a score of 5-3, securing their only European Cup title.6. The World Cup finals adopted the penalty shootout method to decide the champion later than the European Cup.7. While penalties were used early in the World Cup, the first penalty shootout to decide the champion occurred in 1994.8. The 1994 World Cup final was held at the Rose Bowl stadium in Los Angeles, featuring Brazil against Italy.9. After 120 minutes of gameplay, the teams remained scoreless, and Brazil eventually triumphed in the penalty shootout with a 3-2 score.10. The European Cup led the World Cup in utilizing penalty shootouts to determine champions, adding a new and thrilling element to football matches.11. The penalty shootout in the 1976 European Cup final not only decided the champion but also made the competition more intense and suspenseful.12. The World Cup soon followed suit, incorporating penalty shootouts to enhance the fairness and entertainment value of matches.