From unexpected hero of the Euro Cup to jumping onto the field naked: the dark transition of the unhappy hero

Lars Elstrupone of the heroes of the Denmark team that unexpectedly won the 1992 Euro Cup after arriving unprepared to replace Yugoslavia, he acknowledged in an interview with ‘Tribal Football’ what He did not want to play the final against Germany… out of fear.

While his team beat Germany 2-0, Elstrup, who scored a decisive goal against France and another in the penalty shootout against the Netherlands, spent the entire game on the bench hoping not to be called to enter the field.

“It all started two days before the final. Until that moment I really wanted to participate in the four previous games. Be in the lineup, even. But something changed and there was no way I wanted to play in the final… I was afraid of be a failure,” acknowledged the 61-year-old former Danish footballer who presents his autobiography ‘The Unhappy Hero’ (El héroe unhappy).

Lars Elstrup quit football, joined a cult, changed his name, jumped into a game naked and suffered depression

Lars Elstrup (24 March 1963), who retired from football in 1993 after playing for Randers Fleja, Brondy, Feyenoord, Odense and Luton Town FC, He went through a dark period of 15 years after hanging up his boots.

At one point, I had weed coming out of the shower drain

Lars Elstrup

In his autobiography he relates that he suffered from depression that prevented him from even showering (“At one point, weed came out of the shower drain”), joined a cult, changed his name to Darando, found an Indian guru, was arrested and He stripped naked during a Danish Super League match.

“It is very sad to see him like this, he is one of the heroes of this city” confessed Michael Gravgaard, president of Randers FC.t after witnessing Elstrup’s nakedness.

Since January 2022, Lars Elstrup has overcome his mental health problems: “I am stronger than ever. I divided my life into phases and this last phase now lasts more than two years.”