When Yugoslavia withdrew it seemed logical to ask the runners-up in Yugoslavia’s group to make up the numbers. So, with no pressure on them, Denmark enjoyed themselves, and caused the biggest upset in any football championship.
Denmark also benefited from what I call the ‘ near host’ effect. Close enough understand the geography, culture and climate, without the burden expectation that falls on the actual host.
In hindsight, Denmark were young team who were just coming of age, Schmeichel dominated his penalty box, and Bergkamp and Laudrup ‘ did the business’ at the other end.
Top scorers (final tournament): Bergkamp (Netherlands), Brolin (Sweden),
H. Larsen (Denmark), Riedle (Germany) 3 goals.
Top scorer (overall): Papin (Fra) 11 goals.
European Championship football Final 1992
Jensen Vilford
Denmark: Schmeichel, Sivebaek (Christiansen), K. Nielsen, L. Olsen, Piechnik, Christofte, J. Jensen, Vilfort, H. Larsen, Povlsen, B. Laudrup.
Semi Finals
| Germany | 3-2 | Sweden |
| Denmark | 2-2 | Holland |
Group Stages 1972 – Statistics for qualifying matches
| Group 1 | ||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | GS | GA | PTS | ||||||
| France | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 16 | |||||
| Czechoslovakia | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 10 | |||||
| Spain | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 12 | 6 | |||||
| Iceland | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 4 | |||||
| Albania | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 2 | |||||
| Group 2 | ||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | GS | GA | PTS | ||||||
| Scotland | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 11 | |||||
| Switzerland | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 7 | 10 | |||||
| Romania | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 10 | |||||
| Bulgaria | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 8 | 9 | |||||
| San Marino | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 33 | 0 | |||||
| Group 3 | ||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | GS | GA | PTS | ||||||
| USSR | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 13 | |||||
| Italy | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 10 | |||||
| Norway | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 9 | |||||
| Hungary | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 8 | |||||
| Cyprus | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 0 | |||||
| Group 4 | ||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | GS | GA | PTS | ||||||
| Yugoslavia | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 4 | 14 | |||||
| Denmark | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 13 | |||||
| Northern Ireland | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 7 | |||||
| Austria | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 3 | |||||
| Faroe Islands | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 26 | 3 | |||||
| Group 5 | ||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | GS | GA | PTS | ||||||
| Germany | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | 10 | |||||
| Wales | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 9 | |||||
| Belgium | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | |||||
| Luxembourg | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 0 | |||||
| Group 6 | ||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | GS | GA | PTS | ||||||
| Holland | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 13 | |||||
| Portugal | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 11 | |||||
| Greece | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 8 | |||||
| Finland | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | |||||
| Malta | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 23 | 2 | |||||
| Group 7 | ||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | GS | GA | PTS | ||||||
| England | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 9 | |||||
| Republic of Ireland | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 8 | |||||
| Poland | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 7 | |||||
| Turkey | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 0 | |||||
