Pontypridd-born Steve Cooper was accused of dropping a Bosnia and Herzegovina star from his Brondby side on purpose by Sergej Barbez, ahead of the country’s World Cup qualifier with Wales
Benjamin Tahirovic has reportedly apologised to Steve Cooper, after the Brondby manager faced accusations of dropping the player ahead of Bosnia’s upcoming World Cup qualifier with Wales.
The Pontypridd-born head coach, who has been at the helm of the Danish Superliga side since September, opted not to play Tahirovic during Brondby’s 0-0 draw with Aarhus Gymnastikforening on Sunday.
And as a result of his decision, Cooper faced scathing accusations from Bosnia manager Sergej Barbez that he had handed Wales an advantage by limiting the defensive-midfielder’s minutes.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the head coach said: “Benjo has told me some things that are hard to believe. It has something to do with his coach’s roots and origins.
“When your coach wishes you, but not your national team, good luck, everything is much clearer. He [Cooper] has told him that everything will return to normal after the national team season. I am not like that, I love and value sport and competition more.”
It is now claimed by talkSPORT that Tahirovic has since called up Cooper to apologise for the false accusations that he was intentionally dropped at Brondby. It comes after Cooper explained his decision to leave Tahirovic out of his squad last week, citing a disciplinary issue.
He told TV 2 Sport: “It’s a shame. Such situations are never good, but unfortunately, it’s the right thing to do.
“The team, the club, the traditions and the values are always the most important thing. I’m not going to go into it more specifically on a personal level. But when you see things that don’t live up to the values and the team, you have to do something about it.”
JOIN OUR WALES FOOTBALL FB PAGE! Get latest news, analysis and more on The Dragons
Elsewhere, Brondby have also spoken about Barbez’s allegations pertaining to Cooper. Soren Hanghoi, who is the club’s communications chief, told TV 2 Sport: “This is quite a far-reaching speculation.
“Steve has publicly stated the considerations behind the decision — and none of them have the slightest connection with either national team. That goes without saying. It is not just a head coach who is the sponsor of a decision like the one in question here.
“It is a club decision that has been made jointly by an entire coaching team and the sporting management. And there are not that many Wales fans in Brondby after all.”
Wales are set to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in a World Cup qualification play-off on Thursday, March 26 at Cardiff City Stadium. A win there will see the nation take on either Northern Ireland or Italy on home soil on Tuesday, March 31 for their place in this summer’s tournament in North America.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login