ITV Launches Euro 2012 Campaign

Ahead of the upcoming Euro 2012 championships in Ukraine and Poland, ITV has recreated some of England’s most agonising football failures since 1966 and turned them around to show what might have been.

What if Gareth Southgate had scored his penalty at Euro ’96? Find out at Sport Industry TV.

Imagine the glorious celebrations that could have happened if England had benefited from that little bit of luck at crucial moments in key matches – it’s what dreams are made of.

The full advert, to be broadcast later this month, revisits infamous moments from England’s footballing past and shows what might have happened if everything had gone right for a change. 

Gareth Southgate, now a pundit for ITV Sport’s football coverage, memorably ended up making an advert for a pizza firm which sent up his penalty miss in the Euro ’96 semi-final against Germany.

On the recreation of that moment, Gareth said: ‘If only it was true and I had scored that penalty – I wouldn’t have had to make those adverts!’

Certainly if Tomas Brolin’s shot had flown wide of the post in Stockholm in 1992, it might have been a different story. 

If Sol Campbell’s disallowed last-minute winner against Portugal at Euro 2004 had been given, England might have won the tournament.

And if Scott Carson had stopped Croatia from scoring in 2008, then Steve McLaren’s umbrella may have been a symbol of England’s success rather than failure to qualify.

These moments and more are among those re-imagined by ITV in its new campaign for Euro 2012.