England’s Euro 2024 rivals Denmark fly into pitch storm after arriving in Germany with major disruption to training
ENGLAND’S group opponents Denmark flew into a pitch storm as they arrived in Germany.
A new surface was laid at the Danes’ training ground in Freudenstadt, near Baden-Baden in the south-west of Germany, earlier this month.
But panicking Uefa chiefs ordered parts of the pitch to be ripped up and relaid on Monday over worries that the newly laid grass had not set properly.
Large areas of the pitch had been discoloured and were peeled off and replaced with new rolls of grass imported from Holland.
The pitch was supposed to be relaid in April but that was delayed because of a late covering of snow, meaning hurried work on June 2.
Yet even as Kasper Hjulmand’s squad - including Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund, his Old Trafford team-mate Christian Eriksen and Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - were leaving Copenhagen yesterday morning, work was still taking place to try to get the training ground fit for purpose.
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Karsten Paaske, head of the Danish Groundsman Association, warned: “When you build a new grass pitch, it must have time to settle.
“That usually takes several weeks, not just a few hours.
"And with the team training straightaway then the pitch will not have enough time to rest.
"If it were me, I’d have a stomach ache!”
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Denmark Euro 2024 guide
THE winners of Euro 1992 will be hoping for another unlikely surge to the latter stages under boss Kasper Hjulmand.
The spirit of the squad cannot be questioned after they recovered from Christian Eriksen's collapse to make it to the Euro 2020 semi-finals and give England a scare.
MANAGER: Kasper Hjulmand
Played in America for North Florida Ospreys and became Thomas Tuchel's successor at Mainz in 2014.
KEY MAN: Rasmus Hojlund
One of few bright sparks as Man Utd finished a dismal eighth in the Premier League. Can cause problems with his tireless work ethic and clinical finishing.
How Denmark attack
Denmark are very structured and patient in the way they attack.
They will often push a midfielder up to join the three strikers and attempt to create a four-man overload.
How Denmark defend
While Denmark attack in a 4-3-3, or even a 4-2-2, they will drop into a deeper 5-4-1 out of possession.
They will wait patiently for the right moment to press and recover quickly if the opposition attempt to play over the top.
Read the full Denmark Euro 2024 guide here, including predicted line-ups, odds and Wags
Denmark will be looking to United hitman Hojlund to fire them to the last-16 of Euro 204 and beyond.
But the 21-year-old's tournament looked to be in limbo when he was on the receiving end of a nasty tackle from Leo Ostigard in Denmark's 3-1 win over Norway last Friday.
Hojlund, however, walked away from the tussle unscathed.
In an interview with Bold, the former Atalanta man said of the incident: "I got to tell Leo quietly that I think it’s fine.
"He says sorry to me, but I just tell him it’s fine. I have no problem with that.
“It was the others who wanted to defend me,” adds Man United’s number 11, his incensed Denmark team-mates rushing to protect their biggest goal threat.
“And that just shows how close we are here in the squad.
"Full respect to both my team-mates and Leo; he wants to go to the limit.
“[But] we are so close to something that is important. It would be a real pity to go out [of the Euros] with an injury.”
