Sort out this Danish farce, warns O’Neill

MARTIN O’NEILL has called on UEFA to act over the Danish pay dispute which threatens to turn the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League group into a farce.

The Danes were forced to select 11 mostly amateur players from the third and fourth divisions for their friendly against a strong Slovakia side in Trnava last night, surprisingly losing only 3-0.

A dispute over commercial rights meant Premier League stars such as Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen and Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel missed out while Christian Offenberg, a salesman, started up front and student Simon Vollessen was right-back.

Marek Hamsik, Vladimir Weiss and captain Martin Skrtel were among the seasoned internationals who started for Slovakia.

O’Neill (below) fears that if Denmark field a scratch side of lower division and indoor futsal players again on Sunday against Nations League group rivals Wales in Aarhus, rather than established World Cup performers like Eriksen and Schmeichel, it will leave the Republic at a serious disadvantage.

‘If it does develop this way there would certainly be a degree of unfairness about it,’ said O’Neill, whose side face Wales in their Group 4 opener tonight and Denmark in Dublin on 13 October. ‘ I think UEFA probably should (act), and will as well, if it develops in the direction that it looks as if it is going. UEFA will have to make some sort of statement about it then.’

Danish FA bosses have said negotiations to resolve the dispute over the players’ commercial rights will not restart until after the Wales game — so it is not inconceivable that the Republic could play a full-strength Denmark side in Dublin next month.

‘I think everyone would accept that if Denmark play players from lower divisions against Wales then it certainly gives them a massive advantage,’ added O’Neill.

‘It wouldn’t be fantastic news for the competition itself, but we have to see if things get resolved in the next couple of days.’

The Republic’s troubled build-up suffered another blow when midfielder Alan Browne was ruled out with a calf strain. He joins James McClean, who is out for up to six weeks after breaking his arm in training, Robbie Brady, James McCarthy, Scott Hogan and Shane Long on the casualty list.