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San Marino’s stars have refused to back down over Rasmus Hojlund’s claims that he was targeted during Denmark’s Euro 2024 qualifier against the nation on Tuesday.
The striker opened the scoring as Denmark secured a narrow 2-1 win in San Marino to keep pace with Slovenia at the top of Group G.
But the result was overshadowed by controversy over San Marino’s treatment of Hojlund, with the striker complaining his opponents deliberately targeted him.
The United striker, who sealed a £72million move to Old Trafford this summer, made the claims both in a post-match interview and, later, via his Instagram story.
Now, San Marino’s stars have hit back at the former Atalanta star and labelled his claims as a ‘disappointment’ following the Euro 2024 qualifier.
Defender Roberto Di Maio, 41, took to Instagram to say: ‘Today I read that Mr 80 million is complaining because yesterday he received less than great treatment from the defenders of San Marino.
‘Well dear, probably in football like today where physical contact has disappeared you can allow yourself to make fun of us little opponents with ugly and repeated gestures or to simulate at every opportunity hoping for the VAR for a penalty.
‘I would have liked to see you 15 years ago when only real men played football! You were a disappointment Hojlund, good luck’.
Di Maio’s comments come after Hojlund told: ‘I feel they targeted me, as you can see at the end.
‘I understand Italian and I could hear them saying that they had the idea to crush me.’
The Man United striker then took to Instagram on Wednesday morning to further vent his frustrations with the San Marino players.
On his story, Hojlund wrote: ‘We do so much everyday to be the best version of yourself and keep fit for so many games. This behaviour from San Marino last night, trying to injure me was unacceptable!’.
Fellow San Marino defender Alessandro Tosi, prior to Di Maio’s post, dismissed the claims but conceded San Marino players were annoyed by Hojlund’s celebration.
The Dane shushed the San Marino defenders after putting his side ahead, a gesture which didn’t exactly win him any friends.
‘That’s not true,’ Tosi told reporters when asked about Hojlund’s claims.
‘We only told him that he was not behaving properly. What he did was not necessary. He is a very strong striker, but he was not fair at all.
‘I haven’t lost respect for him completely, but we expected better behaviour. His behaviour when celebrating was unacceptable.’
Tosi also suggested it was strange to hear a Premier League player complain about a physical approach.
‘Hojlund plays in a league against defenders who are far more skilled, physical and tougher than us, so he should be used to these kinds of duels,’ he said.
Denmark defender Simon Kjaer backed his teammate’s version of events and noted that some of the tackles were reminiscent of the one that saw Neymar break a vertebra at the 2014 World Cup.
It wasn’t nice things they said [to Rasmus],’ he told.
‘They deliberately tried to hurt him. What was said, I still think should stay on the field. I don’t want to hang anyone out, but it wasn’t positive.’
In August, it was revealed in an MRI scan conducted as part of the Danish striker’s medical showed a stress response hotspot in his back, which can be the start of stress fractures in young players.
The back problem was picked up during his medical which led to Hojlund being sent for an MRI, although clubs seeking second opinions is not unusual in a transfer of that magnitude.
Medical sources outside the club however have told that such injuries require careful management.
Stress response hotspots are often suffered by athletes who have had a high workload at a young age, which is the case the Hojlund.
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