By Andrew Warshaw
Denmark look set to go into an upcoming friendly with Slovakia and their Nations League fixture with Wales with a hugely weakened team as a result of a damaging ongoing row between players and the Danish Football Association (DBU).
In their first tournament since reaching the last 16 at the World Cup in Russia, senior Danish players have refused to sign a new national team agreement in an extraordinary dispute over commercial rights.
Denmark’s players met in Copenhagen on Monday to discuss their situation after negotiations between the DBU and the players’ union, Spillerne, broke down and a deadline set for a new deal passed without any agreement.
The Danish FA, which is in danger of being banned from international competition by UEFA, now looks forced to select a team of lower-ranked players willing to play for the national team without an agreement with the players’ union. Reports at first suggested the Danes could even forfeit the games with Slovakia on Wednesday and Wales on Sunday but that won’t happen since it would definitely incur a UEFA ban.
The DBU had a similar disagreement with their women’s team last year which resulted in a World Cup qualifier being cancelled. On that occasion, UEFA fined the Danes, awarded Sweden a 3-0 win and threatened Denmark with expulsion from the competition if such an incident occurred again.
Simon Kjaer, the Sevilla defender who has 82 Danish caps, has accused the DBU of trying to blame the players for the stalemate.
He told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet: “It is the DBU that creates problems and risks for cancelled international matches and giant consequences for everyone in Danish football.
“We feel that the DBU would like to make us mad. They will make it as if it’s us players who do not want to play internationally. But that’s exactly the opposite. I must admit that it is our clear impression that the DBU has not been interested in finding a quick solution. Right now we fear the consequences for Danish football.”
The DBU has already decided that manager Age Hareide and his assistant should not be involved in the two games as the Denmark team will consist of players the pair have not selected.
DBU president Jesper Moller was quoted as saying: “It is regrettable and serious that there is no new national team agreement. The crucial thing is now that the two national matches will be played. The board has therefore asked DBU’s management that the two international matches will be played with the strongest possible team. Otherwise, we risk major fines and possible exclusion from UEFA.”
DBU chief executive officer Claus Bretton-Meyer added: “We had hoped that the players would meet when we offered them the same fee, bonus, paid insurance and better flight, cook and treatment conditions. Now we are working to get the best possible players to play the two matches for Denmark.
“It is crucial for the future of Danish football. If the games are not played, we may be fighting millions in fines and exclusions for both national teams – and Danish football will be returned to the stone age in many areas.”
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