Bosnia's manager accuses Brøndby's Welsh coach: "He deliberately dropped Tahirovic from the squad"

Controversy has erupted at the home of a potential rival for the Azzurri in the World Cup play-off final. Brøndby manager Steve Cooper has been accused by the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team coach of deliberately sidelining one of his players ahead of the World Cup play-offs.

THE ACCUSATION - Sergej Barbarez claimed that Bosnian midfielder Benjamin Tahirovic, 23, said he had been dropped by the Danish club for reasons linked to Cooper’s “roots and origins”, as he is Welsh. Wales face Bosnia in Cardiff on Thursday in the play-off semi-final; the winners will host the winner of the match between Italy and Northern Ireland for a place in this summer’s finals.