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.
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Badalian Vardan. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2013/09/11/soccer-denmark-coach-morten-olsen-issues-apology-after-comparing-ar/