Despite having spent the past four years either studying or working in policy, I’ve always maintained that the ultimate dream job would involve being some kind of part-time astronaut, part-time cricketer. However, after reading an excellent article by Dave Farrar in Issue One of the football publication The Blizzard, I realise that I now have a new calling: to be an international footballer, specifically a Danish one.
Farrar tells the story behind the Denmark team that won Euro 92. The Danes were only told ten days before the start of the tournament that they would be playing, replacing the excluded Yugoslavia. Folklore has it that several of the Danish players were on holiday, soaking up the sun on various beaches when they received their call up. Surely the best summer holiday ever then: the sun, the sea, and a winner’s medal from a major international football tournament!
But the story gets better. The Danish coach Moller Nielsen provided his squad with a series of unorthodox pre-match motivation activities. Squad activities included a trip to play mini-golf, and a matchday meal at Burger King. For me, the only thing that would detract from life as a professional sportsman would be the endless coach trips and a diet consisting solely of chicken and pasta. Clearly if I were a Danish footballer though, even these concerns would be taken care of…
This somewhat unique regime took Denmark to the final, but Nielsen still had one final trick up his sleeve. Rather than encouraging his players to get some rest and a good night’s sleep the night before the final, Nielsen let his players spend the night with their wives and girlfriends instead!
Being paid to play international football has to count as one of the best jobs you could have, especially if silverware comes your way (although as an Englishman I wouldn’t know what such success actually feels like...). But doing so when training consists of staying on the beach and eating Burger King has to make it the ultimate dream job. Clearly, I’d be well suited to the Danish way of footballing life!
I’ll end this entry with a couple of final thoughts. Firstly, based on all that’s been said, how can we be surprised that Denmark is regularly rated as one of the happiest places in the world? Secondly, my cricket club, the St Anne's Allstars, has long advocated the Danish model. Previous pre-match activities have included having a Sunday roast immediately before play, and holding various running bomb competitions in swimming pools (complete with Biggles goggles routines…) Why then, do we lose so many matches?!
Farrar tells the story behind the Denmark team that won Euro 92. The Danes were only told ten days before the start of the tournament that they would be playing, replacing the excluded Yugoslavia. Folklore has it that several of the Danish players were on holiday, soaking up the sun on various beaches when they received their call up. Surely the best summer holiday ever then: the sun, the sea, and a winner’s medal from a major international football tournament!
But the story gets better. The Danish coach Moller Nielsen provided his squad with a series of unorthodox pre-match motivation activities. Squad activities included a trip to play mini-golf, and a matchday meal at Burger King. For me, the only thing that would detract from life as a professional sportsman would be the endless coach trips and a diet consisting solely of chicken and pasta. Clearly if I were a Danish footballer though, even these concerns would be taken care of…
This somewhat unique regime took Denmark to the final, but Nielsen still had one final trick up his sleeve. Rather than encouraging his players to get some rest and a good night’s sleep the night before the final, Nielsen let his players spend the night with their wives and girlfriends instead!
Being paid to play international football has to count as one of the best jobs you could have, especially if silverware comes your way (although as an Englishman I wouldn’t know what such success actually feels like...). But doing so when training consists of staying on the beach and eating Burger King has to make it the ultimate dream job. Clearly, I’d be well suited to the Danish way of footballing life!
I’ll end this entry with a couple of final thoughts. Firstly, based on all that’s been said, how can we be surprised that Denmark is regularly rated as one of the happiest places in the world? Secondly, my cricket club, the St Anne's Allstars, has long advocated the Danish model. Previous pre-match activities have included having a Sunday roast immediately before play, and holding various running bomb competitions in swimming pools (complete with Biggles goggles routines…) Why then, do we lose so many matches?!
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