Dansk Boldspilunion (DBU) cancelled a World Cup qualifier against Sweden on Friday (October 20) due to a "grotesque" dispute over players’ contracts.

The body confirmed that talks with the Danish Football Players’ Association broke down before taking the unprecedented step of calling off the game at the Gamla Ullevi, in Gothenburg.

DBU explained that they had taken the decision as a result of players failing to report for training on October 17 and 18.

The DBU has not disclosed details of the agreement but has said the two parties would continue negotiations after the game on Tuesday (October 24) at the Stadion ŠRC Zaprešić in Zaprešić. 

"It is important that we have now entered into a deal in place that makes it possible to play the World Cup qualifiers, which at the same time means that we have agreed to negotiate on both camps and get a collective agreement as soon as possible," said Danish player Pernille Harder.

The DBU is awaiting word from both UEFA and FIFA regarding possible sanctions for cancelling the game against Sweden.

Possible World Cup implications include disqualification, wiping previous results from the group, withholding payments of television rights and paying compensation.

The negotiations, understood to have been ongoing for 11 months, are focused on whether the women's national team players are employed by the DBU.

The Euro 2017 runners-up, who also did not play their friendly against The Netherlands last month because of the dispute, have so far played one match of their 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign, a 6-1 victory over Hungary. 

DBU claimed it has offered to increase investment in the women’s team by 2 million krone (£240,000/$316,000/€268,000 euros) per year, from 2.6 million krone (£312,000/$411,000/€349,000) to 4.6 million krone (£552,000/$727,000/€617,000).

This offer was reportedly made for investment in higher salaries and bonuses for players and strengthening backroom staff.

The men’s team offered to give up their 500,000 krone (£60,000/$79,000/€67,000) annual bonus for the women, in an initiative echoing an agreement recently reached in Norway but this was rejected.

The DBU and the Danish Football Players’ Association interpret the terms of employment contracts differently, with the players’ union seeing the players as employees - giving the players certain rights, including equal pay.

But DBU does not see this as the case and wants future agreements to define players as not being employees of DBU.