Danes shoot themselves in the FUTSAL*
BALE’S BOYS COULD FACE INDOOR FOOTBALL STAND-INS AS DENMARK REV UP PAY ROW
GARETH BALE and his Wales team-mates could line up against a team of FIVE-ASIDE players on Sunday.
Denmark’s senior players are refusing to sign new contracts with their country’s governing body in a dispute over commercial rights.
It means that Tottenham star Christian Eriksen and Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel could sit out the Nations League clash with Wales as well as tonight’s friendly with Slovakia.
The Danish FA (DBU) had hoped to select lower-league players for the Slovakia game and then against Ryan Giggs’ Dragons.
But clubs have not made them available and now reports in Denmark suggest the DBU has sounded out players of futsal – a variant of football played on a hard court and similar to five-a-side, but with a smaller, harder ball.
Eriksen’s Spurs team-mate and Wales defender Ben Davies said: “I haven’t got a clue what’s going on. I don’t know what’s happening. I heard they might not field a full side, but that can only be better for us, I guess.
“Christian hasn’t been in touch. Whatever they’ve got going on is their business and whatever team they put out we have to be ready and try to win.”
As well as the missing players, manager Age Hareide and assistant Jon Dahl Tomasson will not be in charge of the Danish team. Former Arsenal star John Jensen will step in instead.
Eriksen has made an urgent plea to the DBU to reach a deal with the players.
He said: “We have to solve this conflict now, not just dig the ditches deeper. We’re happy to stretch our hand again, even though the DBU put it away at the first attempt.” For the time being, Giggs’ squad are trying to put the Danish farce to one side and focus on tomorrow’s clash with Ireland.
The two sides have plenty of rivalry after Ireland’s 1-0 win the last time they met ended Wales’ World Cup hopes. In that game, Wales midfielder Joe Allen was concussed and forced from the midfield by a double challenge from David Meyler and James McClean, who is set to miss the rematch with an arm injury.
“I don’t think it was tactics to try and injure our players last time,” Davies added. “Ireland play hard, but most of the time it’s fair. “That’s football sometimes. You’ll come up against teams who want to make it difficult for you. It was unfortunate that Joe came off on the wrong end.
“But this is a new competition and one we want to get off to a winning start in.
“It’s a huge game after our previous with Ireland, but we’re ready to go and hopefully pick up three points.”