Denmark coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller on Thursday denied that he had accused China of bug-spying or lodged any protest to world soccer governing body FIFA against China.
Hosts China edged Denmark 3-2 in their FIFA Women's World Cup Group D opener here on Wednesday night through substitute Song Xiaoli's brilliant goal on an incredible long shot in the 88th minute.
After the thrilling game, a frustrated Denmark working staff poured dirty words to the Chinese team, igniting a brawl. Moreover, Sweden newspaper Aftonbladet quoted Heiner-Moller as saying that China had installed bugs in Denmark's meeting room and locker room.
"It is a fake story, and we have done nothing against China," Heiner-Moller told Xinhua at their training site here on Thursday afternoon.
"The fact is that we told FIFA for an improper matter, but we did not point against China, and it has nothing to do with bug-spying," he noted.
Asked to illustrate the matter, the Dane said that when they held a technical meeting before their first game against China, they found two strangers behind a mirror in the room.
"One of them carried a video camera and the other took a camera," he added.
Replying to a question, Heiner-Moller said, "I don't know who they are, maybe journalists or working staff of the hotel. I asked them to leave and we changed a room for the meeting."
"In fact, it is not a serious matter as we don't have any secret and we just enjoy playing football," he said in smile.
A journalist from Denmark told Xinhua at the scene, "Aftonbladet is one of the influential sports newspapers in Sweden. But it is a tabloid! You have to be cautious about what they say."
Asked to comment on Wednesday's match against China, the Denmark coach said, "It was a supurb match. China played very well, which surprised me and impressed me."
"The referee of the match also did a good job. It was a fair play and China deserved the win," he noted.
China boast head-to-head results of seven wins, three ties and one loss against Denmark in world arena before Wednesday's clash, including a 2-2 draw in 1991 World Cup in China and 3-1 win in 1995 edition in Sweden.
The Danish coach also felt regrettable for the after-match brawl. "We fought hard to equalize the score in the 87th minute. Losing a crucial match in such a way frustrated us a lot. And no one knows what a person in that mood will react."
"I think the unpleasant thing is over, and we will focus on our next match against New Zealand," he noted.
The Group D also includes Athens Olympics runners-up Brazil and underdog-looking New Zealand.Brazil trounced New Zealand 5-0 on Wednesday before the China-Denmark duel.
Heiner-Moller had said on Tuesday that the winner of the Denmark-China game would be one leg into the knockout stage. Unfortunately, the luck was not on his side.
Source: Xinhua
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