NOT HOGHING THE LIMELIGHT
Danish international goalkeeper Lars Hogh has died, aged 62, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Hogh was the Danish goalkeeper at the 1986 World Cup, as they won fans across the world with swashbuckling play and a win over West Germany (before crashing in the knockout stages). In a twenty-three year career he played only for Odense with whom he won three titles. However, his games for Denmark was limited by the bad lucking of coming through at the same time as Peter Schmeichel. Hogh in fact broke the record at the time for the longest stretch as a international understudy. He retired in 2000 after 817 games for Odense and in 2008, such was his homeland renown, he was asked to train the goalkeepers for the Danish national team. This was a job he kept until the bitter end, and, in a brief period the dreaded pancreatic cancer was held at bay, he could be seen on the bench during Euro 2020 this summer and Denmark’s fairy-tale run to the Semi-finals. Hogh was notably one of the first people on the pitch when Christian Eriksen suffered his heart attack during a group stage match, and the team mates and staff’s quick thinking were credited with saving the midfielder’s life. Even in late November, when he had days left to live, Lars Hogh spent his time checking on Eriksen’s health instead. He was picked by 7 teams, including Old People Smell of Piss and There is no Spoon.
Lars Hogh
14 January 1959 – 8 December 2021
7 teams