Brondby manager Steve Cooper has bizarrely been accused of sabotaging Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup hopes by national team head coach Sergej Barbarez.
According to Barbarez, Cooper, 46, who previously managed Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and Leicester, has deliberately sidelined Bosnian midfielder Benjamin Tahirovic at club level in the run-up to the World Cup play-offs this week.
The Balkan nation take on Wales in the semi-final of the play-offs on Thursday – with the victors to host the winners of Italy vs Northern Ireland for a place at this summer’s tournament.
Barbarez said that Tahirovic claimed to have been dropped for factors relating to the ‘roots and origins’ of Cooper, who is Welsh.
Tahirovic last started a game for Brondby on February 15 and he has made just one 13-minute substitute appearance across their past four matches.
In fact, in the preceding two games before the international break, the 23-year-old failed to even make the matchday squad.
Steve Cooper has been accused of sabotaging Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup hopes
The bizarre claim was made by Bosnia boss Sergej Barbarez, who suggested Welshman Cooper deliberately sidelined Benjamin Tahirovic (R) ahead of the World Cup play-offs
Cooper has previously explained that Tahirovic and team-mate Sean Klaiber were dropped for failing to ‘live up to the values’ of the club, although he didn’t go into further detail.
Speaking at a press conference in Sarajevo on Monday, Barbarez 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 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.’
Brondby’s communications director Soren Hanghoj strongly refuted the claims, however, telling Danish broadcaster TV 2 Sport: ‘This is quite far-reaching speculation.
‘Steve has publicly stated the considerations behind the decision – and none of them have the slightest connection with either national team.
‘It is a club decision that has been made jointly by the coaching team and sporting management.
Bosnia boss Barbarez will take his side to Wales in the World Cup play-offs on Thursday night
‘And there are not that many Wales fans in Brondby after all.’
Cooper took over the Danish side last year, but he has won just seven of his 18 games in charge.
They sit sixth in the Danish Superliga, 17 points adrift of league leaders AGF.
Meanwhile, Tahirovic – who has been viewed as one of Brondby’s better players since joining from Ajax last February – has scored two goals in 24 appearances for Bosnia, and Cooper’s comments are bound to add more spice to Thursday’s encounter.
