Rasmus Hojlund, Manchester United striker, shared the heartfelt email he wrote to a buddy following Denmark’s elimination from the Euro 2024 competition.
Germany eliminated Denmark from the Euros in a match that was momentarily postponed due to a powerful storm in Dortmund.
Germany triumphed 2-0 to go to the quarterfinals. After almost an hour of frustrating Germany with a goal disallowed for offside, the home team established their control and moved forward with to goals from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala in the second half.
Denmark, who finished second in Group C behind England after drawing all three of their group matches, had a sad finale to an unimpressive Euros campaign.
After Kasper Hjulmand’s team lost badly, Hojlund acknowledged he felt “a bit guilty” despite not scoring for the Danes. He wrote on Instagram, “To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from my first Euros.”
As a Dane, cheering on Denmark at a tournament was always one of the highlights; it was an incredible experience to play for Denmark. I was full of energy and had a strong desire to do honor to our nation.
‘I texted one of my friends that I felt a bit guilty. It’s a weird sentimental mix, because there’s also pride.
‘Obviously we wanted to bring the cup home, but the thing that will always bring me pride, both as a footballer and a Dane: Vi er røde, vi er hvide. Vi står sammen, side om side.’
Hojlund endured an underwhelming first season at Manchester United, scoring 16 goals in 43 appearances following a £72m move from Serie A side Atalanta last summer.
The 21-year-old’s Old Trafford team-mate Christian Eriksen scored in Denmark’s Euros opener but ex-Premier League star Rafael van der Vaart was disappointed by his performance at the tournament as a whole.
‘I expected more from them – and also Eriksen,’ he told NOS. ‘We all have a soft spot for him because of what happened to his heart.
‘You still see his class in glimpses but I wanted to see more, I have to be honest.
‘They have quite a few players in big clubs, but I don’t think they have played so well in this tournament that you think “wow”.’
Germany will face Spain or Georgia in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals before a potential semi-final meeting with World Cup finalists France or Portugal.