Denmark captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has publicly criticised the tactical decisions of manager Brian Riemer, the former Anderlecht coach. The comments followed a 3-2 defeat to Norway in the Nations League on Thursday evening, a result that exposed unrest within the Danish squad. The loss, which saw Denmark concede two goals in the final 15 minutes, is part of a difficult start under Riemer with just one win in their last five international matches.
Højbjerg, the 31-year-old Marseille midfielder, said the problem lay in the similar profiles of himself and Morten Hjulmand. "The problem is that we have two players with the same profile in midfield." the captain said. A day later he apologised and stressed there was no personal issue with Hjulmand.
Brian Riemer, who led Anderlecht from December 2022 to September 2024 and has coached the Danish national team since October 2024, reacted to the reconciliation. "Pierre has responded today and offered his apologies. We had a good talk about it. It is forgotten now," stated the 48-year-old coach. Højbjerg's criticism was also criticised by former Mainz coach Bo Henriksen, who called it a disaster for the national team and felt the issue should have been handled internally.
The loss to Norway came via goals from Erling Haaland (two) and Oscar Bobb, while Mikkel Damsgaard and Rasmus Højlund scored for Denmark. The scrutiny on Riemer comes as his former club Anderlecht are enjoying a solid start to the season. The Brussels side currently sit fifth in the Jupiler Pro League with 13 points from seven games. Their last win was a 3-0 victory over Zulte Waregem, with goals from Tawfik Bentayeb and a brace from Marten Winkler.
Riemer's team must now focus on their next Nations League fixtures, starting with a match against Wales on Sunday evening. That match is key for Denmark, which is under pressure in the competition following the defeat to Norway. For Anderlecht, the next league game is away at Cercle Brugge on October 10th, with the hosts currently in 17th place. Fans can check the full schedule and the current standings to follow the race.
This story first appeared at VoetbalPrimeur.be
