Four Nations Tournament (1988)
The Four Nations Tournament was an invitational association football competition between four national teams, organized by the German Football Association. The teams of West Germany, Soviet Union, Argentina and Sweden competed against one another at Olympic Stadium, West Berlin from 31 March to 2 April 1988, with Sweden the tournament winners.
Background
West Germany had been elected host country of the 1988 European Football Championship finals, but because of the ongoing division of Germany, UEFA decided against using West Berlin as a venue for any of the matches at the finals. This was a compromise taken at the insistence of the Soviet Union and East Germany. The DFB, led by Hermann Neuberger, accepted and thus West Germany secured the right to host the Championship.As compensation to West Berlin, whose Olympic Stadium would not be used at that tournament, a Four Nations Tournament was staged there over Easter 1988.
Tournament
The teams invited to the tournament, along with 1986 World Cup runners-up West Germany, were:- Argentina, the reigning world champions
- Soviet Union
- Sweden
The first semi-final was between West Germany and Sweden and was of middling quality. After 90 minutes the scores were level at 1–1, and the Swedish side pulled through 4–2 on penalties. In the second semi, the Soviet Union beat Argentina 4–2 to reach the final.
The third-place game was won by West Germany against Argentina, with Lothar Matthäus scoring the only goal of the game. The final was won by outsiders Sweden, 2–0, against the Soviet Union, making Sweden the tournament winners.
Reception
Although the tournament included exciting teams and world-class players, like Argentina with Claudio Caniggia and Diego Maradona, as well as European Championship favorites the USSR, it didn't catch the public's imagination. The matches were often poorly-attended, the Argentine team's performance as world champions was disappointing, and the Germans, using the tournament as a dress rehearsal for their home Euro tournament, were average at best on the pitch.In the end the European Championships were an organizational success and very well-attended. West Germany eventually reached the semi-finals, the USSR were beaten finalists, but had been beaten in the Four Nations by Sweden, who had not even qualified.