Kasper Schmeichel eyes another Danish fairy-tale
Kasper hopes to repeat dad Peter's Euro 92 triumph with Denmark
It is not easy living in the shadows of his father, but Kasper Schmeichel has been slowly emulating some of dad Peter's feats.
The Leicester City goalkeeper, 34, has already matched dad's achievements of winning the English Premier League and FA Cup. Now Kasper is setting his sights on repeating his father's sensational Euro 1992 title with Denmark.
"You've got to dream big ... and the question we've got to ask ourselves is 'Why not us?'" he recently told Danish TV2.
His father Peter was the hero of Denmark's unexpected European Championship victory in Sweden almost 30 years ago.
With his 129 caps from 1987 to 2001 and long career with Manchester United, Peter Schmeichel is a living legend.
Kasper Schmeichel - tall, blond and strapping like his father - has made a name for himself as well.
Since 2011, he has played for Leicester, the surprise 2015/16 EPL champions, who also clinched the FA Cup in the recently concluded season.
On the international front, he has registered 60 caps for Denmark. As he approaches the end of his career, he hopes to fulfil his boyhood dream of winning the Euros, after Denmark, ranked 10th in the Fifa standings, failed to qualify in 2016.
"When you're little and you play football, what do you dream of, playing or winning? Obviously, you dream of winning!" he said with a smile.
"We've got a good team, I think. And we've racked up some good results and good showings in the past few years."
But, apart from the fact that Denmark are not a favourite and that there will be a Schmeichel standing between the posts, there are not many similarities with 1992.
Back then, Denmark - called up at the last minute after Yugoslavia were excluded over the war in the Balkans - were not at all prepared, but managed to use the lack of pressure to their advantage.
They emerged triumphant in the eight-team tournament by defeating Germany in the final.
At the 2018 World Cup, Denmark's play was lacklustre but solid, enabling them to advance to the Round of 16 where they fell to eventual runners-up Croatia on penalties despite Kasper's heroics.
Denmark finished second in their Euro qualifying group behind Switzerland but ahead of Ireland, going undefeated while scoring 23 goals and conceding just six in eight games
While head coach Kasper Hjulmand has maintained the strong defensive game developed by former coach Age Hareide, "he also attacks more", Poul Ferdinand, sports reporter at daily Ekstra Bladet, told AFP.
Hjulmand said:"It should be extremely difficult (for our opponents) to score ... but at the same time we have to increase our ball possession closer to our opponents' goal."
In addition to Schmeichel, Hjulmand will be counting on experienced defender and captain Simon Kjaer as well as midfielders Christian Eriksen and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Home fans will play their part too, as the Danes will stay in Copenhagen for their Group B matches, meeting Finland on June 12, top-ranked Belgium on June 17 and Russia on June 21.
"Playing in front of our fans will enable us to tackle the knockout stage well armed and from then on, anything can happen," said Hjulmand. - AFP
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