Rasmus Hojlund accuses San Marino of trying to injure him
- Rasmus Hojlund scored for Denmark against San Marino
- Striker was victim to aggressive knee to the back
- Complained about behaviour & conduct of the opponent
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has accused San Marino players of deliberately trying to injure him while playing for Denmark in Tuesday night's Euro 2024 qualifier.
Denmark won 2-1 in an unusually tight game involving San Marino, who scored their first international goal since a stoppage time equaliser against Caribbean minnow St Lucia 11 months ago.
Hojlund opened the scoring for Denmark shortly before half-time – the seventh senior international goal of his career in his tenth appearance – before San Marino unexpectedly equalised. Yussuf Poulsen restored the Danish lead, but Hojlund and San Marino defender Filippo Fabbri were booked in the aftermath and the striker claims it triggered a violent response.
In the end, Hojlund was the victim of a reckless high challenge from 41-year-old San Marino defender Roberto Di Maio that saw him take a vicious knee to the back. Di Maio was only cautioned. Hojlund took particular exception given that previous back trouble delayed his Manchester United debut.
"We do so much every day 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," the 20-year-posted on social media the morning after the contest.
Speaking to Danish media in the mixed zone immediately after the game, Hojlund had gone into slightly more detail about his grievances.
"I understand Italian, and I could hear several of them running around and saying nasty things to me. They also pushed and hit me while grabbing me extra hard," he said, via bold.dk.
"When we scored, I was shown the [card], and they obviously couldn't handle that, and then they started pushing and things like that. It was 100 percent them who started, and then the game just ran. Then they ended up taking it to the next level as they had nothing to lose.
"They knew very well that they could just as well try to ruin someone else's career. I feel that they did to me. Especially the last duel has nothing to do with football. It is for direct red. The referee had absolutely no control over the match. People know that I have had something with my back in the past, which has kept me out. So it's a sorry situation that I'm in now."
Di Maio responded with a social media message of his own, alluding to the fee involved in Hojlund’s summer transfer to Manchester United and accused his opponent of not wanting to play a contact sport and diving in an attempt to win penalties.
"Today I read that the €80m [player] complained about being mistreated yesterday by the San Marino defenders," the natonal team skipper said. "Well, my dear, probably in today's football where physical contact has disappeared, you can afford to make fun of us, little opponents, with ugly gestures or to fake at every opportunity hoping for a penalty from the VAR.
"I would have liked to see you 15 years ago when only the real men played football."
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