Denmark is among the second seeds ahead of the Euro 2016 draw on February 23 in Nice – the third successive major tournament that it has been in that group. Among the nations it cannot possibly face are local rivals Sweden and 2014 World Cup opponents the Czech Republic. Denmark will most likely face a six-team group and need to finish in the top two to qualify for the 24-team tournament, or third for the play-offs.
Kevin keen to get going
Testing for the new Formula 1 season started on Tuesday in Jerez with a bang when Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes careered into a barrier. Kevin Magnussen, meanwhile, was not expected to test-drive his McLaren until Thursday. Instead, his team-mate Jenson Button, 34, was given the first drive. “I won’t be nurturing him,” Button told media about his 21-year-old co-driver. “But I will listen a lot to what he says.”
World Cup success
Denmark are going to the 2014 World Cup, but unlike Euro 1992, this time it isn’t because a war has broken out. The Danish musician and producer Thomas Troelsen has co-written Brazil’s official World Cup song, ‘We Are One (Ole Ola)’. Sung by rapper Pitbull, and featuring Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, the trio will perform it at the opening game in Sao Paolo on June 12.
Nicklas always in the news
Nicklas Bendtner celebrated his return to action in last Friday’s FA Cup by doing what he does best. No, it wasn’t scoring, although he did manage “a couple of air-shots” according to media. It was looking stupid in the newspapers, this time by donning a Russian-style fur hat for a photo he uploaded onto Instagram. It’s “a furry bad idea … to keep warm on the bench” claimed the wags at the Daily Mail.
Eagles in for Andreas
English Premier League club Crystal Palace is reportedly interested in splashing out over 20 million kroner on FC Twente’s Danish defender Andreas Bjelland ahead of the closure of the transfer window this Friday. A regular for the Dutch Eredivisie club, the 25-year-old is also a target of Russian club CSKA Moscow. In other transfer news, Zimbabwean midfielder Silas Songani has joined Superliga side Sonderjyske.
Mie Oh Mie
Mie Ø Nielsen has again smashed her own national and Nordic record in the long-course 50-metre backstroke. Her time of 28.43 beat her previous mark by 0.08 seconds in Norway. Nielsen, who won two golds at the European short course championship last year, is the daughter of two swimmers: Benny Nielsen, who won silver at the 1988 Olympics, and Lone Jensen, who swam at the 1978 World Championships.
