Danish football is in a mess of colossal proportions.
The DBU has failed to come to an agreement with the country’s national team over pay and commercial agreements. It’s not pretty, and, right now, there’s no squad in place for the upcoming matches against Wales and Slovakia.
Things are continually heating up, and several of the players have been speaking out. They clearly feel they have a right to a better deal, and more freedom to go after personal contracts without worry.
As the crisis continues, old stories are being dragged up, and one of those has ‘amazed’ Southampton’s Jannik Vestergaard, reports Ekstra Bladet.
It’s explained that Vestergaard read an article in Denmark over the weekend which claimed Daniel Agger was almost banished from the country’s national team because he had a conflicting sponsorship.
The DBU had a deal with Danske Bank, and then Agger started a personal sponsorship with competitor Pensam.
Danske Bank weren’t happy about this, given they sponsored the national team and the major player at that time was working for their opposition.
The DBU couldn’t prevent Agger entering the personal agreement, so it’s claimed they told Danske Bank they would inform the former defender he couldn’t play for Denmark unless he gave the sponsorship up.
Vestergaard is quoted as saying: “It’s shocking to read that DBU was ready to sacrifice Daniel Agger. Ready to throw the Danish leader of the national team because the DBU failed to comply with their obligations to a sponsor, Danske Bank. It is clear that we are thinking: Will they do it again?
“Will the DBU sacrifice the national team’s star players like Christian Eriksen and Simon Kjaer because the DBU has promised their sponsors something that they apparently cannot hold.”
The Southampton player is clearly unhappy, as are his teammates, but there’s the danger of them all being in an echo chamber at the moment.
Some countries see their players donate any fees to charity, and the Danish squad aren’t exactly part time goat herders.
If they want a big cut of the commercial pie then they surely can’t believe it’s then ok to go and get personal deals which could jeopardise the DBU agreements. It’s all very much having their cake and eating it.
Ekstra Bladet adds that Christian Eriksen, who is the figurehead of the current struggle, is a co-owner of State, an energy drink company. He helps advertise it, but the DBU have a deal with Carlsberg, a direct competitor.
Presumably, the more money given to players the less can trickle down and help the lower reaches of Danish football.
