Danish Heroes II - Morten Olsen

Qualifying competition for UEFA European Football Championship 2012 - tomorrow with the Scandinavian derby Norway vs. Denmark, charged with emotions! Denmark, on position 3 in group H and currently not qualified for the final round, is in bad need of a victory against the leading Norwegians.

Morten Olsen. Pencil, ink, 42 x 29,7 cm.

Does Morten Olsen have the key to success? We'll see. Olsen, professionally formed in Belgium and Germany, in many way is the personification of present Danish football and the Danish Football Association, DBU. Likeable, respectable, of integrity, systematic and soon at pension age.

Apparently Danish football has passed the zenith long ago. Instead of personality, stunning creativity and delight in playing known from the Laudrup era, the system rules and with the system the pursuit of efficiency. A bit like in Danish society nowadays.

That is not astonishing: Usefullness instead of art and personality seemingly is the main characteristic of football worldwide at the present time. Somehow I have the impression all teams and games on high professional level are looking quite the same. The same system trying to beat itself.
On the other hand a more romantic approach to football like Maradona's Argentineans during the last World Championship was overrun by German efficency, quickly and without mercy. The stunned Maradona later was mocked by the german press as a moron when he stated that the Argentineans "lost against a team playing a very practical and direct football".

Anyway: Probably it's time for the individual, artistic performance again, a creative detail neglecting and breaking up the dominant rationalism. This will guarantee shattering defeats, no doubt, but could probably restore a missing dimension within the game: the unexpected, the creative process, the ingenious moment when art overrides design.

I've decided. I am with the creative loosers. Even if they win. Maradona - Goooool (1986)!