BALE: I DON’T CARE IF THE WORLD WANTS DENMARK TO WIN!
Nation has fallen head over heels for a truly special team
THERE is so much love for Denmark right now. People all across the footballing world are lending their support to our national team after the horrible shock of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest.
It’s been fantastic to witness the reaction overseas — from Scotland and so many other places — on social media. It really makes me smile. But the intensity of feeling back home is on a different level right now.
Actually, I’m not sure that anything in the whole of Euro 2020 can quite match the connection we Danes have with the players who will line up against Wales in Amsterdam this evening.
Watching them reach the last 16 by scoring four goals against Russia on Monday night was an emotional experience. I was a television viewer wishing I was in the Parken Stadium. The atmosphere was absolutely electric.
Something remarkable is going on. In recent years, Denmark has been very successful on the pitch. But there had been a feeling among supporters that they did not quite bond with the players of today.
Back in the 1980s, we had fantastic characters such as Preben Elkjaer, Soren Lerby, Frank Arnesen and Morten Olsen. Really great players, but they were also famed for having a cigarette after the game, or a few beers, or just a laugh. They were very open guys. And they were loved for it.
We had some fantastic characters in the 1992 squad that won the Euros as well. Recently, though, it seemed as though players didn’t want to say anything out of place in the media or show
Something remarkable is going on. Everything has changed
that bit of spark. Some people felt they were a bit dull, that they weren’t interacting with the fans.
Then came the Eriksen incident. Thank God, he’s recovering. But the way the other players and the manager, Kasper Hjulmand, responded to such a difficult situation has brought them so close to the people who watch them play.
Fans see them as real, rounded human beings now. They relate to them absolutely.
Players have shed tears in front of reporters. The solidarity and humanity they showed in support of Eriksen touched us all.
Everything has changed. Even if they had lost against Russia, people would have stood and applauded them from the field.
I’m not sure it’s ever been quite like this before in terms of feeling. Maybe you have to go back to that Danish Dynamite team from the 1986 World Cup, but the circumstances were obviously very different.
This current side always knew they were quite good. But now it’s like they are playing without nerves or pressure. There is a new kind of morale.
We don’t have true world-class players in the squad right now — Eriksen was definitely the closest to that status — but we do have a very good group that is playing to a high standard. The team spirit, deepened by what they have been through together, is just exceptional.
And with some luck, I believe it could carry Denmark really far.
We are playing a good Wales team. But if we win that one, it would likely be the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. It’s certainly not an easy path, but it could be worse. It’s a hugely interesting position.
Saying that does not mean I’m dismissing Wales in any shape or form ahead of the match in Amsterdam. You have to give them huge respect. They reached the semi-final in 2016 and people probably thought that was a oneoff. There were questions about whether they would even make it out of their group this time. But they have performed admirably.
They carry a clear threat. Aaron Ramsey is exceptional at timing his runs. Gareth Bale, as we know, is just class. And then there is the pace and trickery of Dan James.
Wales don’t give away much, so it will certainly be a tough game. I expect them to let Denmark have the ball at times, knowing the likes of Bale, Ramsey and James can inflict real damage in transition. Patience and quality will be vital.
This is definitely not a game that’s going to be won 3-0 or 4-0. I could see it going to extra-time, or possibly penalties.
Even so, I would probably make Denmark slight favourites. We have a team unit first and foremost, but there is clear individual quality within it.
Simon Kjaer, the captain, plays at AC Milan. Andreas Christensen is at Chelsea and has won the Champions League.
Mikkel Damsgaard is playing in Italy with Sampdoria. At 20 years old, he has a fantastic football brain and quick feet. He has been compared to players like my brother, Michael, in the media.
That can put pressure on young shoulders but he has gone in with the attitude of showing the world what he can do. He scored a sensational goal against Russia.
Joakim Maehle of Atalanta is a bit of an unsung hero at left wing-back. He scored on Monday, too. Andreas Skov Olsen is another young player operating in Serie A — with Bologna — and I think they have all benefited from being in that environment. I played in Italy myself. I don’t think you can compare Serie A now and then across the board, but it’s still a league that gives you a real tactical awareness.
It also makes you grow up as a person and introduces another mentality in terms of how football is played. If you can survive in Italy, then I think you can play just about anywhere.
Also, just look at the resurgence of the Italian national team. To me, they have been the most impressive, flowing side in the Euros so far. That’s the modern Italy. Defence doesn’t dominate everything now. Far from it.
Denmark also try to play positive football and I’m delighted to say I’ll be covering this evening’s game after being drafted in as a commentator for Danish television.
The last time I got a late call-up for the Euros was 1992. And things didn’t work out too badly then. Let’s hope it’s a good omen for this special Danish team.