Kasper Schmeichel gave a brutal response after being asked what it would mean to stop football “coming home”.
As they did in the 2018 World Cup three years ago, England fans have been using the phrase “It’s Coming Home” – taken from the classic ‘Three Lions’ track – to show their support for the team.
The song was created ahead of Euro 96′, a tournament hosted by England and one where they reached the semi-finals.
At this evening’s Denmark presser:
Question: “You may have heard the phrase ‘It’s coming home’ – what would it mean for you to stop it from coming?”
Kasper Schmeichel: “Has it ever been home though? I mean, have you ever won it?”
— Ronan Mullen (@RonanReigns) July 6, 2021
While “It’s Coming Home” has largely been in jest rather than arrogance, Schmeichel’s answer was a savage one when he was asked the question in a press conference ahead of the huge semi-final between England and Denmark in front of 60,000 fans at Wembley on Wednesday.
“Has it ever been home?” Schmeichel replied, answering a question with a question and smiling as he spoke.
“I don’t know, have you ever won it?”
The journalist then mentioned the 1966 triumph on home soil but the Leicester City goalkeeper was not having it.
“Was that not the World Cup?” he asked.
Kasper Schmeichel was asked what it would mean to stop football from ‘coming home’ … 😅 pic.twitter.com/0AAwNr8J0L
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 6, 2021
🗣️ Reporter to Kasper Schmeichel:
“You may have heard the phrase ‘It’s coming home’, what would it mean for you to stop it from coming?”
😳 Kasper Schmeichel: pic.twitter.com/XFsw6YLk0l
— Betfair (@Betfair) July 6, 2021
Schmeichel’s father, legendary Manchester United goalkeeper Peter, was an integral part of the Denmark squad that were surprise winners of the European Championship in 1992.
A nine-year-old Kasper Schmeichel holds the Euro ’96 trophy with Brian Laudrup’s seven-year-old son Nicolai, 1996. pic.twitter.com/DSh8pwTSdT
— 90s Football (@90sfootball) July 3, 2021
Schmeichel was born in Copenhagen but has spent the majority of his life in England, playing for the likes of Manchester City, Notts County, Leeds United and Leicester.
He has been capped 70 times for his country and wants to do the Danes proud by reaching the final.
“To be honest I haven’t given any thought to what it would mean to stop England,” Schmeichel added.
“It’s more what it would do for Denmark. I’ve focused very little on the England team.
‘It’s what it would do for our country back home. The joy it would bring to five million back home to do something like that, to compete with the nations we are competing with. Not really a lot of feelings for England on this.”