I quit Denmark to focus 100 per cent on Barcelona. People asked me if I wanted to come back for Euro 92, but it wouldnt have been fair Michael Laudrup opens up on missing out on Denmark's finest hour

Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterMore than 30 years on, Denmark's Euro 92 victory remains one of international football's most remarkable stories.A team that had failed to qualify for the tournament would eventually go on to lift the trophy, having taken full advantage of Yugoslavia's ejection following the break-up of the country.Goals from John Jensen and Kim Vilfort sealed a 2-0 win over Germany in the final, with the Danes claiming the stunning victory without one of their greatest-ever players, following Michael Laudrup's decision to walk away from international football two years earlier to focus on his Barcelona career.Laudrup on missing out on Euro 92The mercurial midfielder had been central to the rise of Danish Dynamite, the thrilling side that reached the semi-finals of Euro 84 before winning over the hearts and minds of so many at the 1986 World Cup. But his decision to prioritise club football meant he would miss Denmark's greatest triumph.Speaking about the Danish side of the 1980s, Laudrup credited his manager and his team-mates' decision to ply their trade in Europe's best leagues. You may like Michael Laudrup on what it meant to guide Swansea to their first major silverware Dimitar Berbatov opens up on his career as a cult hero The incredible adventures of Romario and Stoichkov in Barcelona "A lot of the players were playing for big clubs in Europe, at a time when not many foreign players were allowed in European leagues," Laudrup tells FourFourTwo. "We had a lot of individual quality. The arrival of Sepp Piontek as manager in 1979 was also pivotal he fulfilled our potential. We went to the European Championship and beat Yugoslavia 5-0. We had a fantastic game against Belgium too, which we won 3-2 from 2-0 down. In the end, we only lost on penalties in the semi-final against Spain."At the 1986 World Cup, we beat Uruguay 6-1 and West Germany 2-0, but then went out against Spain in the last 16. We were 1-0 up, but a poor second half cost us and we lost 5-1. The big countries had tournament experience. We learned from that and could apply it in 1992 and 1998, where we achieved good results in the latter stages."Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.And what about his decision to quit the Denmark team in 1990?"In the second game of qualifying, we drew in Northern Ireland, then we lost at home against Yugoslavia, who had a fantastic team," Laudrup continues. "I realised theyd qualify, even if we beat them away. I was also in the early stages of my time at Bara, which was important to me, and the two teams played completely different football. I wasnt really happy with the way we played in the national team, but its always the managers decision. Still, I thought, With this style of play, I can never be the same as at Barcelona."As we werent able to qualify, I decided to focus 100 per cent on Bara. Yugoslavia went on to win the group, but because of the war, Denmark were suddenly given their place. People asked me if I wanted to go, but I didnt want to join at the last moment, even though I could have. I felt it wouldnt have been fair." What to read next Philippe Albert speaks exclusively to FourFourTwo about his famous chip against Manchester United 30 years on Andres Iniesta on his rise to becoming an all-time great The Forgotten Ballon d'Or: How Michael Owen won the prestigious award 25 years ago Laudrup would eventually return to the Danish national side in 1993."Id won three league titles and the European Cup with Bara, and every time, they asked if I wanted to go back," he explains. "Id achieved all the things I wanted with Barcelona, so I agreed. Unfortunately we lost a World Cup qualifier to Spain the third time they got in our way, after beating us in 1984 and 1986. Spain has given me so much at personal and club level, then its curious how much it has taken away from me with the national team! But then we went to Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup."His 100th international cap came during the 1998 World Cup, with Laudrup calling time on his international career following their quarter-final defeat to Brazil."That was a great stage to retire on," he reflects. "After leaving Real Madrid, I went to Japan I wanted to go somewhere I could still play, but also have a bit of freedom after being in Southern Europe since 1983. I thought maybe I should retire from the national team, but the coach asked me to continue. I realised that even though I liked life in Japan, I wanted to finish at a higher level. There was some interest from countries like Turkey and France Marseille wanted me but the Southern European passion was what I didnt want any more! [Laughs]"I joined Ajax that team was incredible, with the De Boer brothers, Danny Blind, Edwin van der Sar and Jari Litmanen. We won the Double, so I continued with the national team, we qualified for the World Cup and lost in the quarter-finals to Brazil. We really challenged them and it was a great way to finish my career."TOPICSDenmarkEuropean ChampionshipJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromArthur Renard