OPINION: Brian Riemer Must Face Consequences for Denmark’s Greatest Football Catastrophe

This summer, Denmark will miss out on its seventh appearance at a FIFA World Cup as the tournament unfolds across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This unfortunate outcome followed Michal Sadilek’s penalty strike that soared past Danish goalkeeper Mads Hermansen during a tense shootout in Tuesday night’s play-off final in Prague.

Honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt such a profound emptiness, reminiscent of the night when Jose Mario Bakero collided with Peter Schmeichel, allowing Fernando Hierro to net a goal in that heartbreaking match in Seville, where Denmark, despite having an extra player, failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

However, in 1994, Spain was already on the rise as a global football power, and looking back at the strength of yesterday’s opponents, this latest defeat marks an even greater disappointment. Indeed, Brian Riemer’s campaign to qualify for the 2026 World Cup will unfortunately be recorded as the greatest failure in Danish football history.

Entering the World Cup qualifying phase, Denmark was considered a frontrunner, competing in a group that included Scotland, Greece, and Belarus. It was viewed as one of the most manageable groups for qualification.

While it isn’t catastrophic to lose in Prague against a team that had gone undefeated in 18 matches leading up to the crucial fixture, it is disastrous to draw with Belarus at home, especially when a victory was all that was required to progress to the World Cup.

Before taking on the Danish coaching role, Riemer had managed only one club, Anderlecht. Despite the availability of more experienced candidates such as Thomas Frank, Bo Henriksen, and even Michael Laudrup, the Danish FA opted for the least experienced option, and now they are facing the repercussions.

Realistically, only a couple of players from the Czech team could potentially fit into the Danish side, yet Rasmus Hojlund was the only one to perform at his expected level on Tuesday night.

This inconsistency has plagued the Danes throughout their qualifying campaign, which falls squarely on Riemer’s shoulders. In the key matches against Belarus, Scotland, and the Czech Republic, Denmark was undoubtedly the superior side but failed to translate that into results.

In Prague, Denmark struggled to build plays from the back, despite a lineup filled with players from prominent international clubs. In matches like this, it is crucial to confront challenges head-on, yet both Riemer and assistant Daniel Agger appeared frozen on the bench while Denmark remained perpetually one step behind, despite controlling the majority of possession. This failure to take responsibility was starkly highlighted during the shootout, where three of four penalties were missed.

The most astonishing moment, however, occurred not on the pitch but afterwards, when Football Director Peter Moller announced that Riemer would not be at risk of losing his position. Shockingly, the Danish FA had already extended Riemer’s contract until after EURO 2028 back in October, even while the World Cup qualification campaign was still ongoing.

It’s set to be a long summer, with the Danes’ woes intensified by the fact that both Sweden and Norway have secured their places. Five weeks of football’s grandest event will unfold, but Denmark will, sadly, be absent. Ranked 20th in the world, they still failed to qualify among the 48 nations set to compete in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It’s utter despair, simply despair.