A Danish TV presenter has refused to do an interview with a newspaper as he stood in support of Kasper Schmeichel.
Morten Ankerdal insisted he would not speak to newspaper Ekstra Bladet after an article headlined ‘Farewell, Kasper’ which criticised the Celtic goalkeeper.
The piece had compared Schmeichel to a polio-stricken child and branded the goalkeeper a coward after the most recent international fixtures last month.
The Danish PFA previously backed Schmeichel and called out the newspaper article over “completely distasteful” commentary.
Director Michael Sahl Hansen said: “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.
“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.”
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Now, long-time sports host Ankerdal has thrown his support behind Schmeichel by refusing to speak to the newspaper.
“I’m not talking to Ekstra Bladet,” he said, as reported by Billed Bladet.
“I don’t want to talk to a newspaper that thinks it’s okay to write like that about another person.
“I just think it’s so disrespectful. I can’t understand how anyone can think it’s okay to start dragging polio-stricken children in and writing that people are cocky and stuff like that.
“So I just say ‘no thanks’.”
Paulo Bernardo said of the abuse of Schmeichel: “Kasper should get more respect but this is football.
“When things go bad on the pitch, we are all criticised by some people. Cristiano Ronaldo still gets criticised – and he has won five Ballon d’Ors. It’s part of football and we need to deal with it.
“It’s easy to criticise but you look at the level he has got to.
“I bet it won’t affect him though. He is a great leader with personality and a strong mentality. I don’t think he will be affected by that. Kasper knows how to deal with that. He is looking forward to getting out on the pitch again.”
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