More Than Just Football: A Unique Cinematic Journey Inspired by Denmarks 1992 European Championship Story

On June 12, the film «More Than Football» will hit theaters. The lead roles are played by Alexey Vorobyov and Ivan Okhlobystin, with the participation of professional football player Vitaly Dyakov.

The storyline is inspired by the true story of the Danish national team, which did not qualify for the 1992 European Championship but got a spot in the tournament due to the disqualification of the Yugoslav team. In the film, directed by Viktor Dement, the previously eliminated and dissolved Russian team steps in for the English squad, which was suspended due to fan misconduct.

The Russian Football Federation has just two weeks to assemble a team. The task falls to the controversial coach Sorokin, portrayed by Okhlobystin. He recruits «has-been» players and brings back the squad’s star, Ivanov, played by Vorobyov. Ivanov’s motivation stems from his daughter’s serious illness; her condition improves when the team wins. Initially, the players pursue their individual goals, but as the story unfolds, they unite for the sake of little Dasha.

For this project, which was primarily filmed at Moscow’s VTB Arena and RZD Arena, a unique filming technique was developed to capture matches, combining classic commentary with scenes featuring computer-generated graphics. The film recreates dozens of iconic moments from modern football, along with vivid plays that usually don’t make it to broadcasts. Notable recreations include Neymar’s memorable solo run, Ibrahimovic’s stunning goal, and Russia’s famous strikes against the Netherlands in 2008.

The creators remarked that filming the football scenes proved to be the most challenging aspect of production. The team had to recruit six squads, including players from Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands, featuring many footballers of African descent. They received support from Medialiга, which provided dark-skinned athletes.

“This is a very touching story that is sure to resonate with audiences. All the actors portraying football players, including myself, have professional football backgrounds, so we didn’t use stunt doubles. Each actor-player knew exactly where to pass, where to position themselves, who to dribble past, and which corner of the goal to aim for,” noted lead actor Alexey Vorobyov.