Danish FA flouts UK’s strict Covid rules by allowing FORTY ‘dedicated fans’ to travel for tonight’s Euros semi-final clash against England by flying them on plane with official …

The Danish Football Association has ignored the UK’s strict Covid rules by allowing 40 of its fans to travel for tonight’s match against England on the plane carrying its official delegation.

The DFA announced that the fans had been selected for having the greatest number of loyalty points and will travel on a plane with the partners of the footballers and other officials.

They are all members of the official Denmark football team supporters’ group and were selected for having the highest number of loyalty points from attending matches at home and abroad.

Under current rules, Denmark is on the amber list meaning anyone travelling to the UK from the country must quarantine for ten days. This has resulted in no fans officially coming to the England for the match.

But they are using a loophole that allows VIPs from a national football federation to travel to Wembley from Copenhagen without needing to quarantine.

They will land in London this afternoon after taking a negative Covid test and remain in a bubble during their 24 hour stay, the DFA says.

Based on Uefa’s protocals for its own VIPs going to tonight’s match, a coach will take them to an official hotel before they will be taken to Wembley for the match. After the final whistle they will return to the hotel on the same coach for an overnight stay before returning to Denmark tomorrow.

Around 40 Danish super fans will be at the match with England tonight after they were treated like VIPs and allowed to skip quarantine (fan pictured in Baku last Saturday)

Crown Prince Frederik, his wife Crown Princess Mary and their football-mad eldest son Prince Christian, 15, will all be at Wembley tonight (pictured at Denmark v Finland on June 12)

England fans outside Wembley Stadium this morning ahead of the big match

The DBU stated: ‘According to the tournament rules, the DBU can send a plan with the partners of the players, staff and official management in a special COVID bubble that will not have any contact with outsiders.

‘We have decided to invite 40 of the most loyal fans to London to the semi-finals for an all-expenses paid trip. The fans will fly on the DBU’s chartered plane to London on Wednesday.’

Jakob Jensen, Chief Executive of the DBU said that he was pleased that some of Denmark’s most loyal fans would be rewarded by being able to attend tonight’s game.

He said: ‘Fans are the most important thing in football. That is why we are happy to be able to give a trip to the semi-finals at Wembley to some of the national team fans who have supported us through thick and thin in recent years.’ 

Two lucky Denmark fans making the trip to Wembley are Klaus Villadsen and Magnus Edinger.

Klaus Villadsen, who works as a chemist, said he was on a date on Monday night when he took the call from a withheld number and it was the DBU asking him if he was busy on Wednesday night.

‘I asked them if this was a joke,’ laughed Klaus.  

The two friends and 38 other fans will be taken taken by bus from Luton Airport to a hotel, where they will have dinner and taken to Wembley. 

The allocation has triggered fury among Danes, with one messaging Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Instagram directly and writing: ‘Why the f*** are Danish fans not allowed at Wembley? If you don’t allow us to take a plane we will do like in the good old days and come by sea. Be ready for a Danish sausage, w*******.’

Another fan wrote in the Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet: ‘They think they can walk on water. But they will end up in deep water when the Vikings come.’

The English-language Copenhagen Post wrote: ‘The storm over petty entry requirements, which ensure no Danish fans can travel to support their team in the Euro 2020 semi-final on Wednesday, is quickly escalating into the biggest affront to this country since the British Navy firebombed Copenhagen in 1807.

‘Some observers might even go as far as saying it’s cheating.’

One notable exception to the ban on travelling Danish fans at the match will be the country’s Royal family. Crown Prince Frederik, his wife Crown Princess Mary and their football-mad eldest son Prince Christian, 15, will all be at Wembley.

An estimated 7,500 Denmark fans are expected to be in Wembley for the match, the majority of them based in the UK (fans pictured in Baku in the quarter final)

Meanwhile, England fans across the country are already piling into pubs and bars as the nation awaits tonight’s blockbuster Euro 2020 semi-final against Denmark at Wembley.

Gareth Southgate’s men face the Danes at 8pm with the winners going on to face Italy in the final on Sunday – in what would be England’s biggest game since 1966. 

The nation is right behind the Three Lions, with 30 million expected to tune in on TV, as well as 60,000 at the stadium. Top tier tickets for the clash are being re-sold for up to £6,500 each on ‘touting’ websites, MailOnline has found. 

The Duke of Cambridge, who is president of the Football Association, will be among those inside the ground to watch the match, which will be the first time the men’s team has made it to the semi-final of a European Championship since an ill-fated penalty shoot-out defeat to Germany at Euro 96. 

Fans up and down the country shared photos of themselves wearing England shirts and waistcoats as they started work this morning, while supporters lined up outside Box Park in Wembley and flocked to bars nine hours before kick-off.

One fan even shared a photo of his partner in labour as he drove them to hospital, with the caption: ‘Mrs is currently in labour – reckon I’ll be out in time for tonight?’ 

And former England captain Wayne Rooney showed he was ready for the clash, waking up his children by blaring Three Lions through his house this morning.  

Expectations are high, with England favourites to reach Sunday’s final at Wembley. However, the Danes are expected to provide a stern test, with the team riding a wave of emotion after the heart-wrenching collapse of Christian Eriksen in their first match. 

And one confident Danish paper made reference to the Vikings this morning, writing: ‘We plundered you before, we’ll do it again.’ 

Danish ambassador Lars Thuesen was also optimistic and said today: ‘We have a lot of songs and we have prepared all of them, we know them by heart because our flag is red and white. So we are red and white, we are Danish dynamite.

‘I don’t think we are the underdogs. We have a pretty good chance there and we also have a pretty good record.’ 

Mr Thuesen said 8,000 Danish people living in the UK will be among the Wembley crowd on Wednesday, with numbers limited due to travel restrictions. 

England fans, Daisy, Liddie, Carla and Martha, gather bright and early on Olympic Way, hours before the match against Denmark kicks off

In scenes mirrored across the nation, England fans queue to enter Box Park near Wembley Stadium as the country looks forward to the Euro 2021 semi-final against Denmark this evening

England fans queue to enter Box Park near Wembley Stadium ahead of the Euro 2020 semi final between England and Denmark

England fans on Wembley Way this morning ahead of the semi-final. England are attempting to reach their first final since 1966 

He also said the tournament had been a ‘huge emotional rollercoaster’ for Danes, after star midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during the defeat to Finland in their opening match.

He told Sky News: ‘It started out we were crying, we were praying, then a few minutes later, when we realised he was going to recover, we were crying (tears) of joy. There are higher things at stake than football.

‘He’s still part of the team, part of the WhatsApp group, he wanted us to participate in the tournament as though nothing has happened.’

Mr Thuesen added: ‘I think everybody in England, in the UK, understands that here I can’t be a diplomat. I’m a huge fan of my own country and I hope that we’ll win tonight.’ 

England fans were in buoyant mood this morning as they prepared to roar on the Three Lions in their Euro2020 semi-final tonight.

Supporters had started to gather in central London to cheer on Gareth Southgate’s team against a tough Denmark side at Wembley.

Wearing the 1966 red England World Cup winning shirt, Andy Hallett and friend Jeff Courtney were sipping coffee in a cafe in Soho.

Civil servant Andy, 34, from Bow in East London, said: ‘I’ve got the day off because it’s my birthday today and I’m hoping England are going to give me a great birthday present tonight. 

‘We’ve been going great and have really grown into the tournament and now confidence is high.

‘It’s going to be a tough game, Denmark are a very resilient side and everyone has a soft spot for them at the moment because of what happened to Christian Erickson.

‘But I’m hoping for a 2-0 win to England this evening.

‘I think it’s going to be a good, clean game. Last night’s game between Italy and Spain had too much diving and play acting but I don’t think we’ll see that tonight as both teams are pretty respectful.’  

Jeff, 35, added: ‘I think it’s going to be close but I’m hoping England just about edge it.’