At Euro 1992, a Danish football fairy tale stunned the sporting world. Not to mention beaten finalists Germany, who had been the hottest of hot favourites going into the final.
Euro 1992: A Danish Football Fairy Tale To Make Hans Christian Andersen Proud
Euro 1992: A Late Opportunity
The eight competing teams at Euro 1992 in Sweden didn’t even include Denmark. Yugoslavia had qualified for the tournament – but as that country began to disintegrate amidst war, they were disqualified from taking part. The Danes, who had finished second in Yugoslavia’s qualifying group, were consequently selected to take their place.
Because of their late inclusion in the tournament, many thought Denmark would be unprepared for the challenge ahead. Even the most optimistic supporter of the Red and Whites could not have foreseen the outcome of Euro ’92.
Danish Dynamite
In the 1980s, Denmark had a fine team. So much so that they were nicknamed Danish Dynamite. They reached the 1984 Euros in France, beating England at Wembley on the way during qualifying. Former European Footballer of the Year Allan Simonsen had scored the only goal against the Three Lions. Reaching the semi-finals (for the first time in a major tournament), the Danes lost on penalties to Spain. Michael Laudrup, who played in all of Denmark’s four games, was tipped as Simonsen’s heir apparent.
Read More: Families in Football: Michael and Brian Laudrup
Two years after Euro 1984, Laudrup would light up the World Cup in Mexico in a game against Uruguay. The Danes won 6-1 and were scintillating, with Laudrup to the fore. Denmark looked like it had the making of a truly great team and won all their three group games, also beating West Germany 2-0. But they flattered to deceive and crashed out 5-1 in the Round of 16.
Denmark Seemingly In Decline
By the time Euro ’92 rolled around, Denmark seemed a team in decline. There was also internal strife, with the Laudrup brothers, Michael and Brian, refusing to play for the national team. Midfielder Jan Mølby and defender Jan Heintze had been omitted from the squad by manager Richard Møller Nielsen for disciplinary reasons.
Read More: Marco van Basten Shines at Euro 1988
The Danes did, however, have probably the best goalkeeper in the world at the time in Manchester United’s Peter Schmeichel. While Brian Laudrup made peace with manager Nielsen two months before the tournament. Laudrup’s decision turned out to be crucial as he proved to be the creative heart of the Red and Whites. Lars Olsen would captain the side.
No Easy Ride For The Danes
Denmark certainly won Euro 1992 the hard way. They were in Group 1, which included hosts Sweden and an England side that had reached the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup. While France, under manager Michel Platini, had gone nearly 20 games unbeaten leading up to the tournament.
An opening 0-0 draw against England was a decent start, but a 1-0 defeat to the Swedes in their second game left Danish hopes hanging by a thread. Denmark beat a strong French side 2-1, thanks to a goal from former Luton Town striker Lars Elstrup.
History Makers
In their semi-final, Denmark took on reigning champions the Netherlands in the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg. The game was a thriller that ended 2-2 after extra time, with both Danish goals coming from midfielder Henrik Larsen.
So, the game went to penalties. Only one of the ten penalties by both sides was missed. It was, rather cruelly, the Dutch hero of Euro 88, Marco van Basten, who saw his spot kick saved by Peter Schmeichel. His save ensured the Red and Whites won 5-4 on penalties to go through to their first major final, which would be in the same stadium.
Glory In Gothenburg
In Gothenburg, Germany’s first major final since becoming reunified, most thought that Denmark’s run would end against the world champions. Red and Whites midfielder John Jensen had other ideas.
It would later be a joke at Arsenal about Jensen’s inability to score goals. But, on the biggest occasion in Danish football history, Jensen scored after 18 minutes. It was no ordinary goal either. The future Arsenal man let fly from just inside the penalty area with a right-foot rocket that screamed past German goalkeeper Bodo Illgner. In the second half, another midfielder, Kim Vilfort, sealed a 2-0 victory with a left-foot strike. In truth, the Danes looked comfortable throughout against a strangely lacklustre German side.
A Most Unlikely Winner
Denmark’s triumph at Euro 1992 was the most unlikely in Euros history up to that point. Greece in 2004, have only maybe matched the Danes as the most surprising winners of the European Championship.
