The Most Insane Day in Football History: One Man, Two Countries, Two Matches—All in 24 Hours!
On the long timeline of football’s colourful history, countless strange stories have surfaced—but very few come close to the sheer madness of playing two competitive matches, for two different teams, in two different countries, on the very same day. Yet that is exactly what Denmark’s midfielder Søren Lerby achieved nearly four decades ago, back in 1984.
The drama began on 13 November 1984, in Dublin, where Denmark faced the Republic of Ireland in a crucial World Cup qualifier. The match ended 1–1, a result that ultimately cleared Denmark’s path to the 1986 World Cup. But for Lerby, the real adventure hadn’t even begun.
That very evening, his club Bayern Munich were scheduled to play a German Cup round-of-16 match in Bochum. Bayern’s general manager, the ever-bold Uli Hoeneß, made Lerby a remarkable offer:
“Play the first half, and I’ll fly you to Germany in a private jet. You’ll be able to feature for Bayern tonight.”
Lerby agreed, but Denmark’s coach, Sepp Piontek, couldn’t take him off at half-time—the score was delicately poised at 1–1, and the match was far too risky to disrupt.
Racing Against Time
As the second half was about to begin, Lerby jogged back onto the pitch, only to hear Hoeneß yelling anxiously from the touchline:
“What’s going on? The plane is waiting!”
Fortunately for everyone involved, Denmark struck twice within 12 minutes, racing to a 3–1 lead. Lerby was immediately substituted. After a lightning-fast shower, he was escorted by police to the airport. Even after landing in Düsseldorf, problems continued—heavy traffic towards Bochum forced him to abandon the car and run four kilometres to the stadium.
A Second Match, Extra Time, and Ultimate Triumph
When Lerby finally arrived, coach Udo Lattek had already submitted the starting lineup, so the Dane joined in for the second half. The cup clash eventually went to extra time and finished 2–2.
Lerby later scored in the replay, Bayern won 2–0, and the club went on to lift the German Cup after defeating Stuttgart in the final.
Not the Only One…
In 1986, Welsh star Mark Hughes recreated this astonishing feat—playing for Wales in Czechoslovakia before turning out later that night for Bayern Munich in a cup match. And once again, the mastermind behind the logistics was none other than Uli Hoeneß.
