Kasper Hjulmand: Friend, thinker, information… coach

Just 42 minutes into their opening recreation in opposition to Finland, Denmark misplaced their hero. Christian Eriksen, their most well-known footballer of this era.
Three and a half video games later, they’ve discovered a brand new hero. Kasper Hjulmand, their poetry-reciting, chest-thumping coach.
Eriksen unified and impressed his staff and nation; Hjulmand solid a strong-willed staff, not only a feel-good story, however contenders able to toppling larger groups and would begin as favourites to beat the Czech Republic within the quarterfinals on Friday night time.
Reaching the final eight after the tragedy itself is a stirring narrative of psychological fortitude.
But the style of their journey has strengthened that they aren’t simply an strange bunch instantly galvanised by a tragedy, however with inherent potential and high quality to leap deep into the event.
For 75 minutes in opposition to Belgium, they tigerishly guarded the citadel whereas storming Belgium’s fort repeatedly, earlier than wilting to the inventiveness of Kevin de Bruyne within the ultimate 10 minutes.
Russia have been brushed apart like champions sides consign underdogs. Wales have been tactically out-maneuvered. They weren’t bereft of Eriksen alone, however two others deemed indispensable; their chief goal-scoring outlet Yussuf Poulsen and utility participant Daniel Wass.
The trio’s absence was felt, Eriksen’s absence pressured a formational and positional overhaul, Poulsen’s minimised their goal-scoring risk, Wass’s meant they have been bereft of gamers who offered versatility and structural flexibility.
But they remained undaunted. Hjulmand had an answer for every part.
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After Eriksen’s departure, he moved from his most popular 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-4-3 in opposition to Belgium and Russia to a 4-3-3 in opposition to Wales. He pushed Pierre-Emile Højbjerg right into a extra superior position. Though not as inventive as Eriksen, his directness, management and passing have made a large distinction.
To fill the opening Højbjerg left in central midfield, he furnished licence for fullback Andres Christen to hitch the midfield and display screen the defence. All of his adjustments labored. Kasper Dolberg struck a brace in opposition to Wales whereas Jens Stryger Larsen prospered on the best flank, his tempo and crafty including one other dimension to the Danes.
Whereas Eriksen was as soon as the focus of their attacking thrusts, the risk is extra scattered. It may come from anyplace. There can also be a extra directness to the sport, with an emphasis on long-rangers than earlier than.
The numbers they’ve racked up are spectacular. Their possibilities per minute (2.15) is the third-highest of all groups; their 37 touches within the opposition field per 90 minutes is probably the most among the many remaining groups.
There is attacking verse in addition to defensive obduracy—letting simply six pictures on a mean, the second-lowest of all groups. The flexibility and pragmatism of Hjulmand, who idolises Pep Guardiola and worships Johan Cruyff, scoffed as a hopeless romantic in his Bundesliga stint, had even his staunchest critics change their thoughts.
The Danish press has given him a brand new title: “frelser”, loosely translated as “saviour.” But extra for what he has completed within the dressing room than he has on the sector after the Eriksen tragedy.
After the sport in opposition to Russia, captain Kasper Schmeichel, stated: “The players are rightly getting a lot of praise but there is one person we shouldn’t forget and that is Kasper Hjulmand.”

Unifying issue
Defender Joakim Mæhle elaborated his affect within the dressing room: “He is good at talking with the player and giving that freedom that many players need. He also showed his feelings after what happened with Christian and that he needed help too. What we have been through has just brought us closer together. He is a good coach and now a friend for us too.”
Hjulmand himself was distraught. He and Eriksen have been good associates and admitted he felt clean and weak for days after the incident. “I felt football was meaningless,” he stated.
It helped that he had skilled one thing related throughout his days because the assistant coach of Nordsjaelland in 2008. In the center of a reserve recreation, a midfielder was struck by lightning, and subsequently had a coronary heart assault so extreme that he was in a coma for 2 weeks and his left leg amputated. Hjulmand had endured setbacks in his taking part in profession, having his knee operated 9 occasions earlier than he give up skilled soccer on the age of 26 and went to the USA to finish masters in enterprise research in North Florida.
He needed to tolerate a substantial quantity of ridicule when he turned the coach of Denmark final yr, succeeding the extremely profitable Norwegian, Age Hareide. Per week after he took over, he invited main sportsmen, former footballers, politicians, artistes, and businessmen over to a board room to debate the id of Danish soccer, “the ideals that should reflect in their football team.”
The philosophical leanings noticed him being referred to as “dreamer,” “poet” and even “drifter” in a damaging sense. One whose stint was destined to be doomed.
But now not although. He has received swathes of admirers within the final fortnight. “This is how a modern leader acts, and Kasper Hjulmand has shown the way for all other leaders in this country. Hjulmand is the leader of the year,” wrote Danish newspaper BT in an editorial. {A magazine} Euroman noticed: “We may not become European champions. But instead, we have a new world champion in management.”
A coach who has his grasp over techniques however can also be humane. A hero, or higher nonetheless a frelser.