Kasper Schmeichel earns Danish PFA backing after despicable media attack of Celtic star

Add as preferred source on Google

The Danish Professional Footballer’s Association have backed Kasper Schmeichel following a “distasteful” attack from a journalist.

The goalkeeper saved a penalty in Denmark’s 5-2 loss to Portugal in the Nations League earlier this week as he couldn’t replicate Schmeichel’s record-chasing Celtic form in the defeat.

Schmeichel was then filleted in the media by publication Ekstra Bladet’s reporter Anders Olsen in a post headlined, “Farewell Kasper Schmeichel”. It was a disgraceful and unnecessary attack on the 38-year-old Celtic star who has given his country everything throughout his career.

Olsen’s words were ringing in the ears of PFA director Michael Sahl Hansen and he demanded an apology from the journo as he took aim at the “clown” for his article and defended the injured Schmeichel.

• READ MORE: Celtic’s top summer targets, Brendan Rodgers frustrations and insider thoughts on squad depth – transfer Q&A with market expert

Celtic star Schmeichel was brutally criticised by Danish journalist

And the PFA issued a statement beforehand urging the writer to do some “serious soul-searching” as what he wrote was disrespectful and wrong.

“Hopefully, journalist Anders Olsen is doing some serious soul-searching. Because the way he writes about another person is completely wrong. And we at the Players’ Association have to say that clearly,” a statement read.

“It is completely distasteful to try to degrade a player in that way, by drawing parallels to a deeply serious illness and by fat-shaming two of our absolute biggest sports profiles in Denmark. Top professional elite athletes.”

Mr Stahl Hansen, meanwhile, picked apart Olsen’s article as a whole.

The PFA chief called for healthy debate on the state of the game in Denmark.

What PFA chief Michael Stahl Hansen said about hit piece on Schmeichel

However he insisted the assassination piece was the opposite of that and instead was simply written to take personal jabs at the goalie.

He added: “In the Players’ Association, we have recently focused on discrimination and transgressive behavior with the initiative ‘Stop before the Line’, together with TV 2 and the Divisionsforeningen, where those who cannot figure out how to behave properly are portrayed as ‘the sad clown’ in the campaign films.

“Anders Olsen’s piece is a flawed, flat and sad example of the need for this particular initiative.

“The piece is under all criticism and could easily make him a strong candidate for the role of clown in an upcoming campaign film for the initiative.

“We must have room to discuss and debate in Danish football. And it is of course entirely appropriate to have professional opinions and analyses about the game and performances.

“But it must be done in a proper way, where one does not descend to such a low level and engage in direct personal attacks as here. And here the media (also) have a great responsibility not to incite a hateful or borderline tone.

“I believe that Anders Olsen was not up to the task, that he must have gotten carried away in a really angry tone, and that in my world he owes an apology.”