Despite almost being almost three decades on since their shocking Euro 1992 win and the fact that they are about to enter the delayed Euro 2020 competition, it can still be quite hard to get your head around how Denmark managed to win a competition that they were not even technically supposed to be a part of initially.
Indeed, there are a number of shocks that can occur throughout a person’s livelihood, with none more so when finding a site such as 22bet.ng/casino/ that provides gamblers with all the very best in regards to casino experiences when they have been searching for one that can suit them. Imagine having this resource available when Denmark won Euro 1992, those who placed a bet on the action would be filthy rich!
However, there are two ways in which you can look at how the Danes were so great: you could ever describe them as intuitive and opportunistic, or you could brandish them as negative and in ways, unsportsmanlike.
Going back to before the tournament started, they finished their group in second place behind Yugoslavia and had missed out on qualification after suffering a draw to Northern Ireland in Belfast. After that result, many would have been booking their summer holidays and looking to jet off with their families to somewhere nice before the start of the 1992/93 season.
But, Yugoslavia would ultimately be banned from playing competitive football just days before the tournament started, so the Denmark players had just days to prepare themselves for the competition that was being played in Sweden; thankfully, they did not have to go too far.
They were a part of Group 1 (those were the days when just two groups existed) and were placed with the hosts, France and England. They had no right to progress, but they did after defeating France in the last game of the stage after drawing with The Three Lions and losing to the Swedes.
A penalty shoot-out victory against The Netherlands followed in the semi-final after a 2-2 scoreline in normal time, before they met Germany in the final and won 2-0.
Whilst the result was impressive and the tournament had a fairytale ending, it could be argued that the manner in which they did it was not.
Legendary goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, and the Danes decided to exploit a rule that has not been seen in football ever since that match: the backpass rule.
The ‘keeper would continuously wait to pick up the ball when it was played back to him by one of his team-mates once an opposition player would run and try and put pressure on him. Call it cheating, inventive or anything you like, if there is not a rule saying you can’t do it, then you might as well do it.
Obviously, the rule stating a goalkeeper can not pick up the ball when it has been played back to them has since come into effect, which has only seen some shot-stoppers believe they are outfield players now.
But, there is no denying, the introduction of the rule has made the game that much better for everyone.
