PETER BOLESLAV SCHMEICHEL Born: 18 November 1963 in Kopenhavn. Nickname: Peter the Great, The Great Dane, Mr. Clean Sheet. Position: Goalkeeper. Caps: Denmark 129 (1987-2001) / 1 goal League Games: Denmark 182 (1984-1991) / 0 goals England 292 (1991-1999) / 0 goals European Cup Games: 65 (1986-2000) / 0 goals International Club Cup Games: European Champions Cup 42 (1986-1999) / 0 goals European Cup Winners’ Cup 3 (1992-1995) / 0 goals UEFA Cup 19 (1987-2000) / 0 goals European Super-Cup 1 (1992) / 0 goals Domestic Cup Games: Danish Cup 27 (1981-1991) / 0 goals FA Cup 41 (1991-1999) / 0 goals European Footballer of the Year: 1992 (5th), 1993 (12th), 1997 (8th), 1999 (17th) English Footballer of the Year: never Trophies & Tournaments: World Cup participant: 1998 European Champion: 1992 European Championship participant: 1988, 1996 European Champions’ League winner: 1999 European Super-Cup winner: 1991 Danish Champion: 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991 Danish runner-up: 1989 Danish Cup winner: 1989 Danish Cup beaten finalist: 1988 English Champion: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999 English runner-up: 1992, 1995, 1998 English Cup winner: 1994, 1996, 1999 English Cup finalist: 1994 English League Cup winner: 1992 English League Cup beaten finalist: 1994 English Charity Shield winner: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997 Portuguese Champion: 2000 Schmeichel began his career playing for local team Hvidovre, before earning a move to Danish giants Brondby. He made his international debut in 1987 against Greece, and kept a clean sheet in a 5-0 thrashing. He rose to prominence at the 1988 European Championships where he replaced Troells Rasmussen as Denmark’s number one for the games against W Germany and Italy, but was unable to prevent the Danes crashing out. When Schmeichel first signed for United in a £500,000 move, they were far from the giants they were to become. Although the European Cup Winners Cup holders, United had not won a title since 1967 and were very much in the shadow of rivals Liverpool. In his first season United finished a close second to Howard Wilkinson’s Leeds in the race to win the last ever first division title. The Premiership was to be more kind. In 1992 Schmeichel went off to the European Championships with little realistic expectations of success. The Danes had failed to qualify for the tournament and were only drafted in as late replacements for Yugoslavia, a country in the middle of a bitter civil war. To further compound their difficulties the Danes were missing their inspirational playmaker Michael Laudrup. They started in a tough group alongside France, England and hosts and Scandinavian rivals Sweden. In the opening game against England they drew 0-0 before a 1-0 loss to Sweden. The result meant that they had to beat France in their final game to progress. They achieved it in a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Elstrup and L. Larsen. In the semi finals the Danes faced the favourites Holland who had already topped their group and were looking to retain the trophy they had won 4 years earlier. Henrik Larson put Demark ahead with an early goal before Bergkamp, the star of the tournament pulled one back midway through the first half. The Danes though took the lead again with a second from Larson and almost held out until Frank Rijkaard scored a scrambled goal with just 5 minutes left. Extra-time came and went with no more goals and so a shootout was forced. It was here that Schmeichel made his mark. After exchanging goals Marco Van Basten, probably the world’s best striker stepped up but Schmeichel saved well down low. The Danes, the supposed no-hopers, were into a final against the Germans. Even now very few people gave them a chance against the World Champions, but goals by John Faxe Jensen and Kim Vilfort and two crucial saves before half-time by Schmichel saw off the German threat and brought the Danes their first international trophy. Schmeichel returned to a United determine to gain revenge for their failure last season, but had to watch as minnows Norwich made the early pace. In response to his team’s lack-lustre form, Alec Ferguson swooped for Leeds’ French attacker Eric Cantona in a £1.2m deal. It was to prove the catalyst for a tremendous United season which saw Schmeichel establish himself as the Premiership’s leading keeper, United conceded just 31 goals in 42 league games, and after seeing off a strong challenge from Aston Villa the side captured their first league title in 26 years. Having gained a taste for success, United proved to be even stronger the next season, and the league title proved to be something of a procession as they set a new record for the most number of points in a season of 92 (the rule of 3 points for a win was introduced in 1981). However, the cups proved more hazardous. Schmeichel himself was sent off in the FA Cup quarter final against Charlton Athletic, and they were nearly eliminated in the semi-finals by Oldham before being saved by superb Mark Hughes volley. The league cup final saw United line up against Aston Villa, struggling to emulate their superb previous season, as they bid to become the first ever winners of a domestic treble. Sadly for United it was not to be as they went down 3-1 to goals from Dalian Atkinson and two from Dean Saunders. However, the FA Cup final was a different matter as United thrashed Chelsea, a team they had lost to at old Trafford just a couple of months earlier, 4-0 the biggest winning margin since United demolished Brighton in 1983.It was United first ever double and they joined an illustrious club of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool as the only sides to achieve the feat in the 20th century. Despite being European champions Schmeichel’s Denmark woefully failed to qualify for the World Cup of 1994 in the USA, finshing 3rd behind Spain and Ireland. The next season was a bitterly disappointing one, as United narrowly missed out on both the league title and the FA Cup. In the league the Reds went into the last day of the season second behind Kenny Dalglish’ free-spending Blackburn Rovers, needing to beat West Ham and hoping that rivals Liverpool could hold Blackburn at Anfield. Liverpool duly obliged by beating Blackburn, but United could not respond and only managed to draw 1-1 with West Ham. The FA Cup was seen as the perfect antidote to United’s woes but they were beaten 1-0 by Everton in a shock result at Wembley with Paul Rideout scoring the only goal of the game. Schmeichel could do nothing, he found himself in limbo after Graham Stuart’s shot had rebounded off the underside of the bar. It had been an excellent season for Schmeichel as United conceded just 28 league goals, and it was certainly not the Dane to blame for their failure to collect any silverware. The following season saw major changes at United with established stars Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andriy Kancheskis all departing, and the side looking towards youth as they sought to recapture their pre-eminence of the English game. Despite being written off in some quarters, United rose to the challenge and completed an historic second double, the first club to do so, coming from 12 points down in January to beat Newcastle to the title. In the Cup final it was Cantona again who managed to steer the ball though a sea of bodies to defeat Liverpool and win yet another FA Cup for United. In the summer of 1996 Schmeichel remained in England as he aimed to retain the European Championship with Denmark. The Danes were fortunate to avoid all the heavy hitters and were instead placed in a relatively easy group alongside dark horses Croatia and Portugal, and no-hopers Turkey. The opening game against Portugal resulted in a 1-1 draw, but it was the second against Croatia that was ultimately to decide the group. In the event it was a poor day for Schmeichel as he suffered the ignominy of being chipped by Davor Suker, a goal to rival that of Paul Gascoigne against Scotland for the best of the tournament, and almost being caught out from the halfway line by Suker again. In fairness the game was an illustration of Suker’s place as one of the world’s finest forwards much more than of any faults in the game of the giant Danish keeper. The final game was largely immaterial with Denmark requiring a Portuguese defeat and a heavy victory over Turkey. Although they beat the Turks 3-0 it was not enough as the Portuguese won the final game comfortably by the same score line. United comfortably retained the title in the 1996/7 season, but lost out the following year as Arsenal completed the double. The 1998/9 season proved to be the finest of Schmeichel’s career and the greatest in the illustrious history of Manchester United. The league season was one full of twists and turns as United and Arsenal duelled to be champions. In the end it went to the last day of the season, with United knowing that victory at home to Spurs would guarantee the title. Yet shockingly Spurs went 1-0 up through Les Ferdinand to the disappointment of both sets of fans. United though were able to fight back and eventually won the game with a superb goal by David Beckham. The FA Cup proved to more hazardous and it was again Arsenal that offered the greatest opposition. Having made it past Liverpool, Fulham and Chelsea, United drew 0-0 to set up a replay at Villa Park. United took the lead through David Beckham after a superb throw out from Schmeichel, but Arsenal hit back with an excellent Dennis Bergkamp equaliser. Roy Keane was then sent off for arguing with the referee, before Phil Neville conceded a penalty in the dying moments of the game. Bergkamp stepped up, but Schmeichel made a great save down low to his left to deny the Dutchman. In extra-time Ryan Giggs intercepted a stray Vieira pass and beat the entire Arsenal team to score perhaps the greatest FA Cup goal ever and put united into yet another FA Cup final. The final itself could not live up to the semi, and was something of a stroll for united as they beat Newcastle 2-0. In the Champions League United were drawn in a group with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Brondby. It was a tough group and many questioned Schmeichel’s age and abilities after a number of errors, most notably against Bayern. However, United managed to progress after drawing twice with both Barca and Bayern and two wins against Brondby. In the quarter finals United played Internazionale, and managed to win through, thanks in no small part to a superb save from Schmeichel to deny Ivan Zamorano. The semi-finals pitted United against Juventus, who were aiming to reach a fourth successive CL final, and so be the first team since Real Madrid to do so. The first leg ended 0-0, meaning that everything rested on the return match at the Delle Alpi. United got off to the worst possible start conceding two early goals, one of which reared up over Schmeichel’s head from a deflected Inzaghi shot. To make matters worse Roy Keane United’s inspirational captain was booked for a tackle on Zidane and so ruled himself out of the final in the unlikely event that United could get there. What followed was an incredible performance, from United, most notably Keane, as they came from 2 down to win 3-2 and secure a match with FC Bayern in a repeat of their group encounters. The Nou Camp in Barcelona, Europe largest stadium, was the perfect setting for what proved to be an unforgettable final. In the sixth minute Ronny Johnsen fouled Jancker and conceded a freekick around 25 yards from the United box. Mario Basler stepped up, and slotted the ball tamely to Schmeichel’s left. It was a soft goal for Schmeichel to concede in his final United game. Bayern continued to dominate the game, twice hitting the woodwork, before Alec Ferguson made two bold changes to try and alter the course of the game. With seconds remaining Schmeichel was sent up for a late corner, it didn’t fall to him but to Ryan Giggs whose shot was turned in by the waiting Teddy Sheringham. Having dramatically levelled the game, United won another corner which was flicked on by Sheringham and steered home by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Bayern had been hit by the most cruel twist to a CL final and United had won an historic treble. In his last game at Manchester United Schmeichel lifted the Champions League trophy and the image of him cart-wheeling in delight is one that will endure for years to come. Schmeichel left United for two years in Portugal where he won a league title with Sporting Lisbon before making a surprise return to the Premiership with Aston Villa. He stayed there a season before ending his career at Manchester City on their return to the Premiership. His final professional game coincided with City’s last ever game at Maine Road, and both were emotional farewells. Schmeichel now works as a pundit for the BBC and writes for the Sunday Times, his son Kasper is a goalkeeper for Manchester City. Schmeichel stands as one of the truly great goalkeepers, not just of the modern era, but of any era. His command of his defence was second to none, and for a big man was exceptionally athletic. The difficulties Manchester United have had in replacing him, are testament to the Great Dane’s phenomenal ability. League Statistics per Season Season - Club - Games – Goals 1981......Gladsaxe-Hero...............III. Division 1982......Gladsaxe-Hero...............IV. Division 1983......Gladsaxe-Hero...............IV. Division 1984......Hvidovre IF..................30 / 00 1985......Hvidovre IF..................30 / 00 1986......Hvidovre IF..................II. Division 1987......Bröndby IF..................26 / 00 1988......Bröndby IF..................26 / 00 1989......Bröndby IF..................26 / 00 1990......Bröndby IF..................26 / 00 1991......Bröndby IF..................18 / 00 1991/92 Manchester United........40 / 00 1992/93 Manchester United........42 / 00 1993/94 Manchester United........40 / 00 1994/95 Manchester United........32 / 00 1995/96 Manchester United........36 / 00 1996/97 Manchester United........36 / 00 1997/98 Manchester United........32 / 00 1998/99 Manchester United........34 / 00 European Cup games Season - Club - Games – Goals 1986/87 Bröndby IF..............EC I........02 / 00 1987/88 Bröndby IF..............EC III......04 / 00 1988/89 Bröndby IF..............EC I........02 / 00 1989/90 Bröndby IF..............EC I........02 / 00 1990/91 Bröndby IF..............EC III......10 / 00 1991/92 Manchester United....EC III.....03 / 00 1992/93 Manchester United....EC II......01 / 00 1993/94 Manchester United....EC I.......04 / 00 1994/95 Manchester United....EC I.......03 / 00 1995/96 Manchester United....EC II......02 / 00 1996/97 Manchester United....EC I.......09 / 00 1997/98 Manchester United....EC I.......07 / 00 1998/99 Manchester United....EC I.......13 / 00 1999/00 Sporting Lisboa.........EC III.....02 / 00
Wow, impressive work, comme. How long did it take you to compile the stats and write that whole review of Schmeich's career? Unless you just copied it from somebody else and didn't credit the source...?
The stats are by Gregoriak, the profile is my own. They are part of a series which has been in the pipeline for 9 months. More to be rolled out today and over the coming weeks including quite a few more United legends.
Here is a link to the master thread of profiles. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232370