Haaland 200M flop! Denmark boss Riemer insists he did not snub Erling during secret Danish trial

Denmark head coach Brian Riemer cleared the air surrounding Erling Haaland's trial at FC Copenhagen in 2017 ahead of Thursday's UEFA Nations League match against Norway. Speaking at his press conference at Ullevaal Stadion, Riemer addressed his role during Haaland's week-long stay in Denmark as a youngster.

At the time, Norway manager Stale Solbakken served as FCK head coach, while Riemer worked as the club's Under-19 manager.

Solbakken publicly exonerated Riemer during his own media briefing, confirming his former assistant held no responsibility for failing to sign the forward.

Laughing off the tale as a classic football story, Riemer recalled hosting Haaland and his father, Alf-Inge, during their visit to Copenhagen nearly a decade ago. The Danish coach expressed joy at watching Haaland's meteoric development into a world-class striker following his initial trial.

Riemer firmly rejected any suggestion that he personally cost FC Copenhagen a fortune in future transfer fees.

"It's a good party story. Erling had been invited to a trial training stay in Copenhagen, and I can safely say that I had nothing to do with whether he would stay there or not," Riemer smiled. "I can say with peace of mind that it was not me who cheated FC Copenhagen out of 200 million."

Turning his attention to Thursday's League A opener, Riemer strongly rejected suggestions that Denmark arrive in Oslo as underdogs against Haaland's side. He emphasized that the Danish squad possess immense technical quality and absolute belief in taking three points away from home.

Riemer confirmed his coaching staff spent three days in Helsingor refining tactical details to surprise Solbakken's setup.

"We don't see ourselves as underdogs or little brothers," Riemer added. "We have a really, really strong national team with lots of quality and lots of talent. We are here to bring home points."

Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand echoed his manager's confidence, insisting the squad remains completely unfazed by Norway's World Cup success. The Atletico Madrid player stressed that Denmark's tactical focus remains strictly on executing their match plan rather than worrying about the opposition's momentum.

The Danish squad complete their preparations for an intense Scandinavian encounter in Oslo.

Denmark proceed into Thursday's fixture determined to launch their Nations League campaign with a victory.