Danish products burned in Amman
Photo: Reuters
Israel v Denmark to go ahead
Danes will arrive in Israel for soccer friendly regardless of cartoons, Denmark's Football Association says
The Danish Football Association confirmed on Tuesday that it will be sending a team to Israel at the end of this month to play an international friendly, allaying concerns that the match would have to be cancelled.
There had been fears that the continuing violent protests against Denmark by Muslims may spill out into demonstrations outside the game and elsewhere during the national team’s planned stay in the Middle East.
Throughout the Arab world Muslims have expressed their anger over the publication in a Danish newspaper of a cartoon depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad.
However, the DFA refuted the concerns and assured Israel that the 1 March game, to be held at the Ramat Gan stadium near Tel Aviv, will indeed go ahead.
Inter-FA talks
The decision followed talks between DFA officials and Israeli Football Association chairman Itche Menachem, who guaranteed to the Danes that the match will be conducted within the utmost security.
Every national team which visits receives a level of security which does not exist in any other country
Itche Menachem, Israeli Football Association chairman, said “We are happy that everything will take place as planned.”
Earlier this week DFA spokesman Lars Berendt, had said the association had “serious concerns” about playing the game in Israel.
"For obvious reasons, Israel is not experiencing a reaction to the cartoons, but there are serious concerns. We want to play the match in the right positive spirit but the security and safety of everyone involved is our first priority,” he said.
But Menachem had always been confident and stressed that he was “certain the Danes will come and that the game will take place as scheduled in Israel.”
"There is no fear of coming to Israel,” Menahem added. “Every national team which visits receives a level of security which does not exist in any other country.
"All the visiting teams and observers have praised the security arrangements here and ... if there was a real fear, the Danes would have informed us. If they need any clarification we will give it to them."
Second time in Israel
This will be only the second time Denmark has played an official game on Israeli soil. In November 1999 the Europeans beat Israel 5-0 in a playoff qualifier for the Euro 2000 finals. To complete the rout the Danes won 3-0 in Copenhagen four days later.
Although neither team has qualified for this summer’s World Cup finals, the match is still seen as important by both camps as an opportunity to regroup and prepare for the European Championship qualifying games which begin in September.
It will be Israel coach Avraham Grant’s last game in charge before he leaves to take over at Hapoel Tel Aviv. He will be replaced by Hapoel manager Dror Kashtan.
Grant is expected to call up the three British-based Israeli players – Bolton’s Tal Ben Haim and West Ham’s Yossi Benayoun and Yaniv Katan – for the game.
Reprinted by permission of the European Jewish Press
