This Day In History: The Davids of Denmark live a Herculean dream

The summer of 1992 – as 8 teams gear up for the Euros in Sweden, neighbours Denmark await a friendly against the CIS before they embark on their holidays. Coach Richard Moller Nielsen is preparing to renovate his kitchen. But news arrives that the outbreak of civil war has lead to the UN placing Yugoslavia under sanction and subsequently their national team being suspended by FIFA. Denmark, who finished a point behind Yugoslavia in Qualifying, were the ones to benefit; and how. A trip across the Baltic beckoned. Nielsen’s kitchen would have to wait.

Clubbed with hosts Sweden, England and 1984 champions France, it was all about salvaging some pride as they were hardly expected to be trailblazers. A draw and a defeat later, Denmark were at the bottom of the group with France up next. If the proposition was not daunting enough, coached by Platini, the French were the only team to arrive with a 100% record from a qualifying group that included former champions Czechoslovakia and Spain. But goals from Henrik Larsen and Lars Elstrup neutralised Jean-Pierre Papin’s strike, giving Denmark an improbable victory.

Defending champions Netherlands lay in wait for the Danes in the Semi-Finals. Larsen scored twice in the first half on either side of Bergkamp’s goal. Four minutes from time, Rijkaard snatched a second euqalizer, pushing the match into extra time. The extra time went goal less.

It was all square as the first two penalties were converted. Then, Marco Van Basten had his kick saved by Peter Schmeichel. The Swan of Utrecht who won the Ballon d’Or later that year, thwarted by the Great Dane whose half-a-million pound transfer from Brondby to Manchester United in 1991 was later touted by Sir Alex Ferguson as the ‘bargain of the century’. Everyone else converted their penalties. The Danes were through at the expense of the flying Dutchmen… ‘Dream On’.

The Danes had already taken the footballing fraternity by storm even before the Final had started. The greatest of fairy tales always include the daunting of tasks. Here, the world champions Germany, now unified, played the Goliath to Denmark’s David. Expectantly, there was a barrage of attacks from Germany as Schmeichel kept out goal-bound efforts from Stefan Reuter and Guido Buchwald.

Danish striker Kim Vilfort had left the camp twice during the tournament to visit his little daughter who was suffering from leukaemia. On 18th minute, he picked Andreas Brehme’s pocket and initiated an attack that culminated in a goal from John Jensen – just like in the dreams. This however, only increased the pressure on the Danes as waves of white shirts swarmed in for the kill. Jurgen Klinsmann and Stefan Effenberg being repeatedly denied an equalizer by Schmeichel.

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN – JUNE 26: Kim Vilfort of Denmark is mobbed by team-mates after scoring the second and winning goal during the UEFA European Championships 1992 Final between Denmark and Germany held at the Ullevi Stadium on June 26, 1992 in Gothernburg, Sweden. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images)

Second half was more of the same as German coach Berti Vogts threw the kitchen sink at Denmark, replacing Mattias Sammer with Thomas Doll. Then in the most crucial 6 minutes of the game, Klinsmann’s lob was about to be headed in by Karl-Heinz Riedle, only for Kent Nielsen to clear off the line. The goal was coming any time now. And it did, on 78th minute. Vilfort, Denmark’s spinning totem, capitalized on another defensive lapse and nutmegged Thomas Helmer to shoot past Bodo Illgner’s despairing dive. The dream was complete – the Ullevi had provided the plot for a great footballing fairy tale.