Earlier this week, UEFA confirmed Euro 2020 has been postponed to next summer because of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Åge Hareide’s current deal with Denmark is until the summer and their football association reportedly have no plans to extend his contract. Kasper Hjulmand is set to replace the Norwegian and Hjulmand will assume the new role from July.
It looks like Hareide has already managed his final game for Denmark and this news has not been received well by his players, including Southampton’s Pierre-Emile Højbjerg.
“In football, you rarely talk about something that is a pity for anyone, but in this situation with Åge Hareide it really is a pity for him,” Højbjerg told BT.
Hareide took over the Denmark job in 2016 and didn’t consider the Saints midfielder until September 2018. However, the situation has improved for Højbjerg over the past 18 months as he’s been a regular inclusion in the national team squad.
The Southampton player talked up about Hareide’s impact on his career.
“In terms of football, he has been really good and a leading factor for the national team. You have to respect that,” he explained.
“Åge has made me a better footballer. He has done a tremendous job for the Danish national team. He has managed to motivate me to become an even better footballer, and I am grateful for that.”
Meanwhile, the former Bayern Munich man has welcomed UEFA’s decision to postpone to the European championship to next year.
“In the situation we are in, I think UEFA has made the right decision. Football becomes secondary due to the situation we are all in,” Højbjerg stressed.
