Huddersfield ace Zanka doesn’t want either Irish side in World Cup play-offs
Denmark international says he would pick Greece for a two leg tie to see who makes Russia if he had the choice
MATTHIAS Zanka hopes he is not a man who stops Irish eyes smiling by inflicting World Cup heartbreak on them.
The Huddersfield defender faces a play-off to decide if he will make Russia with Denmark.
But he admits he does not want to face either Northern Ireland or the Republic in a two-leg tie to take one of the final four European places.
For him, Greece is the word.
“If I had to pick one, I’d say Greece,” said Zanka, 27, who had to sit through a nervy last few minutes as the Danes drew 1-1 with Romania to seal a play-off place.
“For them, coming to Denmark - if we are lucky enough to be at home for the second game, having got a good result away - will not be easy.
“Copenhagen on a November night and they don’t have huge big names like they used to have. If I had to choose, it would probably be them.
“Our coach wouldn’t mind playing either Northern Ireland or the Republic, he has come out and said that. He thinks that is going to suit us really well.
“But it would be a very physical game against either of those teams and tight. I don’t think it would be open. I don’t know if you need that in two play-off games.
“For all of us that played against Montenegro last October, that was a big letdown. Especially when you look at the stats from the game and watch the game back.
“If that game is played 1,000 times, we win 992 of those, draw seven and then maybe lose that one game. It is how football is.
“In the beginning, we didn’t play well against Poland away. Romania away was one we should have won, there were a lot of games like this when we just weren’t good enough.
“We didn’t produce the quality we needed but we finished on an eight-game unbeaten run so it is odd when things swing in your favour.
“This time against Montenegro this October, we weren’t that much better than they were but we still got the 1-0 win.
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“Momentum is a big thing, it makes things easier. I think we will come into the play-offs full of confidence. There is a belief in the squad that we can play against everyone.
“You always hope for the miracle but we knew play-offs, and especially seeded, was the best thing we could hope for.
“Qualifying would mean everything. We have missed the last three tournaments, the last one we were in was South Africa.
“We really need this for the Danish people. The backing disappeared but now we have a new coach and a lot of optimism around the team.”
Zanka, whose real surname is Jorgensen but who has adopted his nickname from cult film Cool Runnings, has settled into life in England easily.
However, he revealed he had tips from national manager Aage Hareide before he moved from FC Copenhagen.
But not many of them were much use as the Norwegian played at Manchester City some 36 years ago!
He added: “Aage played here and spoke about his time at City but he also said things had changed a lot, so he didn’t want to give many pointers.
“The old training ground at Manchester City was one thing he mentioned. I can’t remember what else, maybe the culture and how everything was bigger and different.
“But I was not thinking about my national team when I came here. I had purely selfish thinking about wanting to see if I could prove myself
over here and play with the big boys.
“Of course, you do improve your chances of playing when here. But I have not played for Denmark since coming to the Premier League and I played a lot before that when I was at Copenhagen.
“I also look at Andreas Christiansen, who is playing regularly at Chelsea but he is sitting on the bench for Denmark."
Zanka will be reunited with a former foe today when he comes up against Swans striker Wilfried Bony.
And he will be hoping for a better experience than the last time his side faced him in Holland.
In November 2012, he could only watch as Bony scored the winner for Vitesse Arnhem at PSV Eindhoven. Three months later it was a similar experience as the hotshot netted twice.
That season, the Ivory Coast ace scored 31 goals in 30 league matches, a haul that earned him his original £12 million move to Swansea.
After Bony and Swansea, it is Romelu Lukaku and Manchester United then Philippe Coutinho and Liverpool.
But Zanka is adamant that it is facing some of the so-called lesser lights that sold the Premier League to him.
“That season he scored loads of goals, so I don’t think any defender got the better of him,” Zanka recalled.
“Every week, whatever team you play against, you face world-class players. That’s why you want to come here. You don’t have a second to
breathe.
“Playing the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United is the icing on the cake, though.
“These are the teams you grew up and watched. There are a lot of Man Utd and Liverpool fans in Denmark. This is what people think of when
you say Premier League.
“But for me, it was the whole package that sold me. It’s Swansea, it’s Brighton.”
