Numbers do not add up for Denmark
Friday, November 16, 2007
Article summary
Denmark are resigned to missing their first European finals since 1980 with Morten Olsen lamenting that "we don't have enough players who are good enough".
Article body
Denmark are resigned to missing their first UEFA European Championship finals since 1980 with coach Morten Olsen saying: "We simply do not have enough players."
Theoretical chance
Denmark travel for Saturday's Group F game against Northern Ireland with a theoretical chance of reaching the finals – requiring second-placed Spain to lose their two remaining matches, while the Nordic side prevail in Belfast and at home to Iceland. By most estimates, it looks a hopeless cause, but Olsen is urging his players to stay the course.
On their toes
"First of all, it is always important to win football matches. Furthermore, we owe it to ourselves to keep chasing the small chance we still have of qualifying, and finally two wins could be important when it comes to deciding our seeding for the qualifiers for the next [FIFA] World Cup."
Manpower problems
Having also failed to qualify for the World Cup in Germany, Denmark appear to be going through a barren spell in international football. Olsen, 58, is not surprised. "We just don't have enough players who are good enough at this level at the moment," he explained. "This should come as no surprise considering what a small country Denmark is."
