– Has affected us all
AL-WAKRAH/OSLO (VG) (Australia – Denmark 1–0) Denmark came to the World Cup as the world’s 10th best team, but are the first to go home with a poor point. Captain Simon Kjær (33) believes that the non-sporting environment around the Qatar WC has affected the team.
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Mats Arntzen, VG
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Jonas Bucher, VG
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Fredrik Schjesvold, VG
Denmark has been one of the leading nations regarding markings ahead of the controversial World Cup, before the World Cup opener (0–0 against Tunisia) was at the center of the rainbow captain’s armband debate, and after that game national team manager Kasper Hjulmand saw himself uncertain on whether he was part of something he liked about being in the Qatar World Cup.
His team has since lost 1–2 to France and 0–1 to Australia – and the return flight to Copenhagen is ready for boarding.
– I think it (non-sports) has of course affected us all. But you can’t get me to say that it’s some form of apology, says Simon Kjær to a combined press corps, dominated by Danish journalists, after Wednesday’s sensational exit.
– But if you ask someone here whether the WC should have been wasted here: No. Of course, we don’t think so either. But now we are unable to deliver what needs to be delivered.
Kjær, together with six other captains, was supposed to use the rainbow bandage during the World Cup matches, but withdrew when sporting sanctions were announced against the teams.
– Can it be avoided that it enters the pitch when there is negative publicity and negative focus leading up to this World Cup?
– Yes, for me personally it is possible. So I don’t think it happened. People felt ready for battle, they felt focused. For me, it will never be an excuse, maintains Denmark’s stopper manager.
– My job is to play football – not to negotiate about politics, adds Jesper Lindstrøm, who had predicted a breakthrough in the national team kit after a strong harvest in Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt.
The loss to Australia means that the Qatar tournament is Denmark’s worst football World Cup ever.
The Danes came to the championship ranked as the world’s 10th best team, they played in the European Championship semi-final last year and two victories in 2022 over reigning world champion France meant that there was great faith in the team at the forefront of the Danish press.
“If Denmark in the World Cup matches can reach the level that the team showed in large parts of tonight’s Nations League victory against France – yes, then we can… become world champions!”
Football commentator Lasse Vøge wrote that in the newspaper BT etter with Denmark had beaten France 2–0 in September.
Well, on the other hand, the criticism is hailing in the Danish media.
“Scandalous collapse”.
“Embarrassing of Wheelman”.
“Embarrassing and humiliating”.
“A colossal fiasco”.
In both Ekstra Bladet and BT, several of the Denmark players get to roll the dice one after appearing against Australia. Coach Kasper Hjulmand also gets it.
“Hjulmand’s great history at the head of the Danish national team has now been completely and utterly forgotten. This is a World Cup nightmare that will cling to his legacy”, is Ekstra Bladet’s verdict on the Denmark manager.
At BT Hjulmand is not even evaluated in terms of character.
“The worst performance under Kasper Hjulmand’s leadership…”
«He has seemed at a loss, and none of his decisions worked today. Denmark does not have a single big chance against Australia – number 38 in the world ranking.»
– That is my responsibility. It is my responsibility that when you come to the WC that the team must rise to the best level, and we did not reach that level in this championship, says Hjulmand himself at the press conference after the failure.
– You have so few days as national team coach to get it right during a championship. And we didn’t. That is the frustration, he says further.
France emerged victorious from Group D, while Australia captured second place ahead of Tunisia and Denmark. France will face the second-placed team in Group C, while Australia will face the first-placed team.