The head coach of the Danish national football team, Brian Riemer, has been grappling with intense stomach pains and unsettling dreams ever since Denmark exited the Nations League quarter-finals following a frustrating defeat to Portugal after extra time.
Denmark was tantalisingly close, just four minutes away from securing their place in the Nations League Final 4 set to take place in Germany, as they led 3-2 on aggregate. However, a late equaliser from Portugal shattered all hopes for the Danes.
As a result, Denmark will now shift their focus to friendly matches against Northern Ireland and Lithuania in June. While Riemer is anticipating the friendlies, he admits he would have preferred to compete in the Final 4.
“It still makes me feel ill to think we’re not going to the Final 4, and I keep having nightmares about it. I would have loved to go to Germany, but that’s not on the cards now, so we’ll need to prepare for these test matches,” Riemer told bt.dk.
“In my view, these friendlies will offer better preparation for World Cup qualifying than the Final 4 would have. Over the past six months, we’ve been the underdogs in nearly every match and had to exceed expectations. Now, we need to take the initiative in our games, which has historically proven to be a challenge for the Danish national team.”
Riemer expressed no regrets regarding his choice of Kasper Schmeichel as goalkeeper or the decision to substitute Christian Nørgaard and Christian Eriksen mere moments before the Portuguese equaliser.
“The plan was sound, but the outcome was unfortunate. We fell short of the fine margins, and this has plagued the Danish national team for a few years now. We need to find a way to turn those situations in our favour.”
Denmark will take on Northern Ireland in Copenhagen on 7 June, followed by a match against Lithuania in Odense on 10 June.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
