Soren Lerby: How the Denmark and Bayern Munich midfielder played two games in one day for club and country

By the 57th minute, Michael Laudrup and John Sevbeek had put Denmark 3-1 ahead in a game they would win 4-1. A minute later, Lerby was off the field and the clock was starting to tick.

After a quick shower, against Hoeneß’s wishes, they headed to the airport accompanied by the police. The trip went as planned too.

So far, so good – even the drive from Düsseldorf Airport to Bochum Stadium.

“There was traffic for three or four kilometers because the stadium is in the city,” recalls the 67-year-old Lerby.

“So I had to jump out of the car and run four kilometers to the dressing room. It was a good warm-up.”

But Lerby will rest on the bench because Bayern coach Udo Lattek had already named the starting lineup.

“I was very disappointed because I wanted to play from the beginning. But I went in at half-time and then there was extra time and the score was 2-2.”

Lerby scored in the replay, which Bayern won 2-0, and then went on to lift the cup by defeating Stuttgart in the final.

But as impressive as this achievement may seem, he never thought it was anything special.

“I remember sitting in the bar after the match in Bochum,” Lerby added. “I had a beer and thought, ‘This is a good job.’ But that was the only thing. I didn’t feel like it was a big accomplishment.

“In our time, there was a lot of chaos. We often had big problems. 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 two years later, Hoeneß also convinced Mark Hughes to play in another cup match for Bayern on the same day he played Wales in Czechoslovakia.

It is not known whether the striker was rewarded for his efforts, but it is a point that Lerby might raise with Hoeness.

“I’ll ask him next time, that’s for sure,” he added. “I’ll say, you missed something, Ollie!”