Denmark are experiencing a turbulent time ahead of Thursday's match against Switzerland. The team will be coached by the replacement interim coach.
Marinko Jurendic, the Swiss head of sport at Augsburg, had to give the go-ahead for Lars Knudsen to lead the Danish national team into the two Nations League games this week. Knudsen has actually been the standard coach in the Bundesliga since last January. A position he also held for Denmark at the last European Championship.
Now the 47-year-old specialist from North Jutland, who previously only worked as a head coach at junior level, is suddenly the first person to work on rebuilding the Danish selection. Kasper Hjulmand resigned after the European Championship and after four years as national coach. His successor was initially appointed on an interim basis. Morten Wieghorst was supposed to take over until the end of the year. But Hjulmand's long-time assistant had to pull out last week due to stress symptoms.
Peter Möller, the sports director of the Danish national team, explained that he immediately thought of Lars Knudsen when it came to finding a replacement at short notice. Current assistant Daniel Agger was not an alternative due to his lack of coaching diplomas. "Lars has been closely involved with the team over the last six months. He has talked to Morten Wieghorst and Daniel Agger about changes and new players," says Möller.
Reform after the European Championship
Of the 23 players in the squad for the home Nations League games against Switzerland on Thursday and Serbia on Sunday, five are still without international experience. Two veterans, Simon Kjaer and Thomas Delaney, have retired this summer. One or the other will have to be replaced in the Danish team. However, there is no sense of hecticness. There is no need for appealing to good results under Hjulmand, who justified his resignation by saying that new impetus could be helpful.
Denmark have only missed four finals since 1998. Their last exploit came in 2020, when they reached the semi-finals of the European Championship. After that, the team led by playmaker Christian Eriksen was not quite able to repeat this performance. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was particularly disappointing with a preliminary round exit despite being the secret favorites. At the European Championships in Germany, Denmark were knocked out in the round of 16 by the hosts.
Home strength in Copenhagen
Their self-confidence is unbroken. They are a force at home in particular. In the last three years or so, only one of 17 games in Copenhagen has been lost. "Our goal must definitely be to win both games," says Knudsen. "We believe in ourselves and that we have a good foundation." They also have "some new things that we can hopefully bring in to give us new energy".
SDA