At Nya Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg on June 22, 1992, Kim Christofte stood by the penalty spot and knew that with a score he would lead Denmark in the nation’s first European Championship final.
Before the decisive kick in the penalty shootout against the Netherlands, it was a matter of winning the psychological war against the experienced goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen.
The pressure was enormous on Kim Christofte, who turns 60 on Monday 24 August.
He sensed that the goalkeeper had the mental advantage. This was because van Breukelen had shortly before been very close to saving teammate Flemming Povlsen’s attempt.
It seemed as if the keeper had no choice but to give the visitors a 1 – 0 lead after 70 minutes.
Christofte took a long approach and had planned to kick high in the goal. But it felt wrong. A thought that the goalkeeper had read him nagged the Dane. He had to do something.
He therefore asked the referee for permission to correct the position of the ball. Inside the goal, Hans van Breukelen had until then been very communicative, on the verge of the provocative, but suddenly he was silent – perhaps confused.
Kim Christofte then took two steps back and went towards the ball.
He noticed that the goalkeeper put his weight on his left leg and then he kicked it the opposite way. Flat. With the inside.
The second after, the ball hit the target and he broke out in the familiar spin around himself followed by a joy shop up in the air. Denmark was in the European Championship final, which was later won.
The football player with the characteristic mustache and number six on his back managed to play a total of 19 international matches.
At club level, he helped win three Danish championships with Brรธndby, including the club’s first championship in 1985.
Kim Christofte was also under coach Morten Olsen’s wings when the club reached the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup in 1991.
The European Championship hero has since made a career in the private business world. He has also tested his skills as a poker player and local politician.
The pressure was enormous on Kim Christofte, who turns 60 on Monday 24 August.
He sensed that the goalkeeper had the mental advantage. This was because van Breukelen had shortly before been very close to saving teammate Flemming Povlsen’s attempt.
It seemed as if the keeper had no choice but to give the visitors a 1 – 0 lead after 70 minutes.
Christofte took a long approach and had planned to kick high in the goal. But it felt wrong. A thought that the goalkeeper had read him nagged the Dane. He had to do something.
He therefore asked the referee for permission to correct the position of the ball. Inside the goal, Hans van Breukelen had until then been very communicative, on the verge of the provocative, but suddenly he was silent – perhaps confused.
Kim Christofte then took two steps back and went towards the ball.
He noticed that the goalkeeper put his weight on his left leg and then he kicked it the opposite way. Flat. With the inside.
The second after, the ball hit the target and he broke out in the familiar spin around himself followed by a joy shop up in the air. Denmark was in the European Championship final, which was later won.
The football player with the characteristic mustache and number six on his back managed to play a total of 19 international matches.
At club level, he helped win three Danish championships with Brรธndby, including the club’s first championship in 1985.
Kim Christofte was also under coach Morten Olsen’s wings when the club reached the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup in 1991.
The European Championship hero has since made a career in the private business world. He has also tested his skills as a poker player and local politician.
Source: The Nordic Page