Lasse Schöne returned this summer to NEC, the club he played for between 2008 and 2012 and where he earned a transfer to Ajax. In conversation with Football zone the 35-year-old Danish midfielder discusses his decision to return to Nijmegen. “This is familiar territory for me and there are many positive developments going on here,” said Schöne.
Schöne played in the Netherlands for sc Heerenveen, De Graafschap, NEC and Ajax. In the summer of 2019, he opted for an Italian adventure at Genoa. He returned to Heerenveen halfway through last season. His return to Friesland was limited to just under six months, because NEC recently announced his return. “NEC has ambition and that really appealed to me,” says Schöne about the PhD student.
“Of course it also helps if you know the club well and have had four great years here. From here I went to Ajax and as a football player you also want to play at the highest level and play the biggest matches. So I have benefited a lot from my NEC time and had four great seasons. I just don’t think I would have come to NEC if they hadn’t been promoted,” he says honestly. “At my age I still have ambition in football and I want to play on the highest stage. That is why I was extra happy that they had been promoted.”
Nine years ago, Schöne made the switch to Ajax. “I used to walk around in Denmark in Ajax shirts when I was little,” said the Dane, who didn’t hesitate for a moment when the record champion asked him to come to Amsterdam. “When the call came from Amsterdam, I had already made up my mind after I hung up. It was Tonny Bruin Slot who called me. Actually, it wasn’t even hanging up, but when he told me where he was from… By then I had already made up my mind.”
“I then called my agent and said: ‘The future is clear for the time being’. That was fantastic and I’m really proud of that, but I had it thanks to NEC. The last year was very good. If I had had a lesser year, Ajax would not have come by either”, said Schöne, who as an Ajax fan had not seen anything in a possible switch to Feyenoord. “I could have gone to Feyenoord, but I think I would have stayed with NEC. At the time, we always played play-offs at NEC and you can’t say ‘no’ to Ajax either.”
Schöne returned to the Netherlands earlier this year to put himself in the spotlight for the national team of Denmark, in the hope that he could participate in the European Championship. It didn’t come to that. Schöne watched the final tournament at home on the couch. He was shocked when he saw his friend Christian Eriksen go to the ground in the game against Finland. “I didn’t feel well at all and I didn’t sleep well because of it. When I had personally spoken to him again from the hospital, I was a little more reassured. It may sound bad, but I was just glad he was alive.”
Schöne as a player for NEC in a duel with Eriksen in the 2011/12 season.
“I know him very well, he is a buddy of mine”, continues Schöne, who still played with his compatriot at Ajax. I know his family and then you are just happy, football is an afterthought. You’re glad he’s back with his family now and that he’s healthy again. That’s the most important thing, then the football can be stolen from me. I also experienced how things can turn out differently (Nouri, ed.), which made it even more difficult. I had just arrived at my holiday address with the family, but I was not enjoying the first days. When I finally spoke to him, I was finally myself again.”
Eriksen was quickly helped during the duel with Finland after he went to the ground with a cardiac arrest. On the field, he was resuscitated by medical personnel. Eriksen survived partly due to the quick action. Eriksen’s cardiac arrest sparked a discussion about whether football players should receive a CPR course. Or Schöne thinks that all players should be able to resuscitate? “I don’t think that’s a stupid comment, I also had a CPR course in the past. You have to keep it up every other year, I don’t think that’s a bad idea.”