Denmark boss explains Froholdt omission from XI against Portugal | OneFootball

Brian Riemer, Denmark’s head coach, explained Victor Froholdt’s absence from the starting eleven in Thursday’s 2-4 defeat to Portugal. The coach praised the FC Porto midfielder, who was used in the final 15 minutes, but pointed to the strong competition in midfield and assured: “It has nothing to do with quality.”

Asked by Portal dos Dragões, Brian Riemer framed the decision within a department where he believes he has several options of a similar level. His omission from the starting eleven was therefore a choice for this match, and not a sign of any lack of trust in the player.

When analyzing Froholdt’s place in the Danish national team, the coach began by highlighting the midfielder’s career path and quality. He then focused his explanation on the characteristics of the different options available for the same areas of the pitch.

“Froholdt is a fantastic player, he has won every individual award he could have won in recent years and has also won many with his clubs,” he began. “As for our national team, we have gone through a major change, but if there is one area where we have several top-class players, it is midfield. We have three players of a similar level, including Froholdt and Hjulmand, who are different players but like to play in the same areas.”

Riemer also projected an important role for Froholdt in the future, explaining that his running ability could be especially useful in other contexts.

“When we can make everything fit, he will be in the team, but today the players who played were very comfortable on the ball, they were strong in the press... Froholdt has more running power, so he can be important in other games,” he assured. “It has nothing to do with quality, we just felt that others could be more important today. He is a fantastic player and will be very important for us in the coming years.”

The head coach’s message was clear: the choice against Portugal responded to the specific needs of the match and the balance between the alternatives. Froholdt did not start, but he continues to be seen as a player with room to grow in importance for the Danish national team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.