The club versus country row often causes friction, but midfielder Soren Lerby once found a way to satisfy both.
He played for Denmark and Bayern Munich on the same day. In different countries.
In the afternoon of 13 November 1984 – exactly 40 years ago – Lerby lined up for his national team in Dublin for their final qualifier for the 1986 World Cup.
Bayern, meanwhile, had a last-16 German Cup match at Bochum later that evening.
Denmark only needed a point to reach the finals in Mexico, so Bayern’s then-general manager, and later president, Uli Hoeness suggested Lerby play in both games.
A fine attacking player who never wore shinpads, Lerby told BBC Sport. “He suggested, ‘can you not ask [Danish coach Sepp] Piontek to play for 45 minutes or maybe less? Then I’ll pick you up and we come with a private jet and you can play in the evening in Bochum’.
“I was not thinking it was too crazy because I was in the best shape of my life.”
In those days, managers were only allowed two substitutions per match and at half-time in Lansdowne Road it was 1-1, so Lerby played on.
“Uli Hoeness was on the sideline when I came out for the second half. He said, ‘what’s going on? The plane is waiting!’
“That was my biggest concern because he was starting to get a little bit angry because he had an expensive plane waiting for us. I didn’t want to watch him because I knew exactly what his face looked like.”
By the 57th minute, Michael Laudrup and John Sivebaek had put Denmark 3-1 up in a game they would win 4-1. A minute later, Lerby was off and the clock started ticking.
After a quick shower – against Hoeness’ wishes – they were off to the airport behind a police escort. The flight went to plan, too.
So far, so good – until the drive from Dusseldorf airport to Bochum’s stadium.
“The traffic was three, four kilometres because the stadium is in the city,” recalled the 67-year-old Lerby.
“So I had to jump out of the car and run four kilometres into the dressing room. That was a good warm-up.”
But Lerby would cool down on the bench because Bayern coach Udo Lattek had already named the starting line-up.
“I was very disappointed because I wanted to play from the beginning. But I came in at half-time and then there was extra time and the result was 2-2.”
Lerby scored in the replay, which Bayern won 2-0 and went on to lift the cup by beating Stuttgart in the final.
But as impressive as the accomplishment sounds, he never thought it was anything special.
“I remember that I was sitting in the bar after the match in Bochum,” added Lerby. “I took a beer and I was thinking ‘that was a good job’. But that was the only thing. I was not feeling like it was a big achievement.
“In our time, there was much chaos. We were many times in big trouble. You play for the national team and the club also has a match so you were not allowed to go [to the national team].”
Almost exactly two years later, Hoeness also persuaded Mark Hughes to play in another cup match for Bayern on the same day as he played for Wales in Czechoslovakia.
Whether the striker received a bonus for his efforts isn’t known, but it’s a point which Lerby may raise with Hoeness.
“I will ask him next time, that is for sure,” he said. “I will say, you missed something, Uli!”
