Bosnia and Herzegovina manager Sergej Barbarez has refused to apologise to former Leicester City boss Steve Cooper
Phil Blanche Press Association
08:19, 26 Mar 2026
Steve Cooper(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Bosnia and Herzegovina manager Sergej Barbarez has refused to apologise to Steve Cooper after claiming the Brondby boss dropped his player Benjamin Tahirovic from club action to help Wales’ World Cup bid.
Wales host Bosnia in a play-off semi-final in Cardiff on Thursday, with the winners at home to Italy or Northern Ireland next Tuesday.
Barbarez accused former Leicester City boss Cooper of trying to help his native Wales on Monday, claims which were flatly rebuffed by Brondby, who said sidelining key Bosnia midfielder Tahirovic was a club decision.
Tahirovic subsequently apologised to Cooper for Barbarez’s words but the Bosnia head coach was in no mood to back down after arriving in Cardiff, saying he had created a “puzzle” for people to consider.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest Leicester City news, analysis and more via our LCFC Facebook page
“I don’t think I should apologise for anything,” Barbarez said at his pre-match press conference.
“The only important thing for me is that I trust my players and the idea of all this was to create a puzzle for you, so you can think about all these things.
The latest Leicester City headlines sent straight to your phone
Get the latest Leicester City news sent straight to your phone by joining our Foxes WhatsApp community. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started.
No one will be able to see your personal information in the community and you will only receive messages from the LeicestershireLive sports team. We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest City stories. All you need to participate in this free service is to have WhatsApp on your phone.
If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and then ‘Exit Group’. It’s as simple as that. You can read our Privacy Notice HERE.
“I had the idea to protect the player. That’s where all this talking was from.
“I’ve known Benjamin for the last two years and I know what a good player he is and how he can be.
“So I think we should concentrate on the match, which is the most important thing for both teams.”
England’s 2026 World Cup kits
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Various Prices
England Official Store
Buy Now on England Official Store
England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.