Cooper accused of excluding bosnia player for playoff advantage

Welsh coach Steve Cooper, currently managing Danish side Brondby, is at the center of a controversy surrounding Bosnia midfielder Benjamin Tahirovic.

Accusations of tactical exclusion

According to Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez, Cooper deliberately excluded Tahirovic from recent games to make him lose form ahead of the playoffs, potentially giving Brondby an unfair advantage.

Barbarez claims Tahirovic revealed to him that Cooper had wished him good luck for personal matters but not for international duty, suggesting the Welshman wanted him out of the picture.

Denial from brondby

However, Brondby has vehemently denied the allegations, stating the decision to bench Tahirovic was purely disciplinary and unrelated to national teams.

Soren Hanghoj, the club's communications chief, emphasized that such decisions involve the club and management, not just the coach.

The standoff between the two nations adds to the tension surrounding the upcoming playoffs, with both sides determined to secure their spot in the World Cup.