StoryTop 30 matches that marked the Euro. Until 2021, "Le Monde" has classified the 30 matches that made the legend of the tournament. In 3rd place, the feat of the Danish team which, invited at the last minute, beat the German favorite in the final (2-0), thanks to John Jensen and Kim Vilfort.
In June 1992, nobody had the good idea to film the life of the Danish selection from the inside. Logic, the future European champions replace Yugoslavia, excluded for political reasons from this Euro in Sweden.
In the absence of a local version of the Eyes in the Blues, there remains fiction with Sommeren ’92, from director Kasper Barfoed. In 2014, the country's heroes will be invited to the premiere. " It’s not the movie of the year, but the story is pretty cool and faithful ", sums up Captain Lars Olsen.
Random recommendations of the algorithm, Netflix subscribers may have come across this feature film centered on the character of Richard Moller Nielsen (who died shortly before the release of the film), initially presented as a selector despised by the media , by its federation, or even by some of its players. A fairly realistic portrait.
But next to this anti-hero figure, Sommeren ’92 also focuses on the destinies of John "Fixed" Jensen and Kim Vilfort. The first is the comic character of the film, the one who gets yelled at in front of his teammates by his wife for the postponed vacation. In contrast, the second gives the feature film its most dramatic scenes.
Friends in life, the two midfielders share the same hotel room. The atmosphere is Danish (understand relaxed) and wives are free to come and go with a certain tolerance. But Vilfort's companion stayed in Copenhagen. She watches over the bedside of the couple’s daughter, 6 years old and suffering from serious cancer. Before the third match against France, the former Lille player, learning of a new relapse of the small Line, returns urgently to the country.
Jensen and the rest of the group then discover the intimate drama experienced by their comrade. "I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it’s his drama that got us going, suggested defender John Sivebaek interviewed by The Parisian, but this ordeal united us, we were like a big family. "
The Danes beat the Blues (2-1) and Vilfort, pushed by his wife, finds his friends for the semi-final against the Netherlands. Better still, he succeeded in his penalty during the penalty shootout. Jensen was not among the five designated shooters.
Normal, the Brondby player maybe runs for two but could miss an elephant in a corridor with a ball. The film builds on this awkwardness (Jensen did not fit a strike in four games) and shows him sending a dozen balls to the stands during the last training before the final against Germany.
Germany "impossible to beat"
In Sommeren ’92, as in reality, Moller Nielsen encourages this brave Jensen (then looking for his first goal in selection) to take his chance again. Better still, he shows her by gesture how to go about it.
But this June 26 in Gothenburg, the man of obscure tasks must first think of running. " The first few minutes were the hardest of my career because we were so dominated ", remembers the future Arsenal player.
No more surprise, the reigning world champions will send Danish tourists back to their vacations. Moreover, the former coach Franz Beckenbauer had announced, in 1990, that this Mannschaft would become " impossible to beat " with the contribution of talents from the GDR. But, in 1992, Matthias Sammer and Thomas Doll are the only ones "Ossis" present in Berti Vogts' group.
Upgraded, the Danes are kept afloat by their goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel when, at the 18e minute, Vilfort sounds the revolt by tackling Jürgen Kohler. The ball lands in Flemming Povlsen's feet. The striker saw Jensen unmarked at the start of the box, but hesitated for a second, perhaps dreading another unscrewed shot. But the game dictates this pass to him. The head fixed on the ball, "Fixed" strikes without controlling, almost closing your eyes.
But this time, the ball starts well, very well even and ends up in Bodo Illgner's window. Jensen does not realize immediately and runs with the right hand raised like the one who does not know how to celebrate a goal.
However, Germany still thinks of winning at the end and pushes up to the 78e minute. At this point in the final, Kim Vilfort must never be in such an advanced position. But the middle just got up with a bad blow when a ball arrives at him. From the chest in the film (but rather from the upper arm in fact), he controls it, performs a hook with the right foot before striking with the left and writing the goal of the title with the help of the post (2- 0). " If I had made a hand, I would remember it without hesitation ", he swore to So foot in 2008.
The latest arrivals, the last departers, the Danes overthrew Europe a few days after saying "Nej " to the Maastricht Treaty. Vilfort doesn’t really have the mind to think about the future of the European Union or even to celebrate this title in front of almost a million Danes the next day on the streets of Copenhagen. Shortly after, he returned to the hospital alongside his wife.
Six months later, the death of their daughter will cause great emotion throughout the country. Summer of ’92 has the subtlety of leaving the drama of one of these heroes out of the picture. " It's something you just can't describe, " sums up Vilfort with all the modesty of a father.
Find our Top 30 matches that marked the Euro
