DENMARK COACH MORTEN OLSEN ISSUES APOLOGY AFTER COMPARING ARMENIA DEFEAT TO 9/11
Metro News, UK
Sept 10 2013
By Daniel Jones Tuesday 10 Sep 2013 8:44 am
Denmark coach Morten Olsen has had to make a grovelling apology after
comparing his side’s 4-0 defeat to Armenia last year to the terrorist
attacks of 9/11.
The Danes travel to Armenia tonight, having been humbled by the
minnows in Copenhagen.
However, the build-up to the rematch has been overshadowed by Olsen’s
ill-thought comments.
Asked how he viewed last July’s disastrous Group B result, the
64-year-old replied: ‘Maybe it is hard to compare, and probably we
should not compare, but football wise [the 4-0 defeat to Armenia]
was our September 11th.’
Unsurprisingly the insensitive comparison, made just two days prior to
the anniversary of the tragedy in New York, did not go down well and
Olsen issued a hasty apology on the Denmark national team’s official
Twitter page.
‘I’m sorry if my comparison – despite my reservations – inadvertently
offended some people,’ he wrote.
Denmark are currently fifth in Group B, level on points with Armenia
and Czech Republic and just one point behind second-placed Bulgaria
with three matches to go.