Football / Sports

Giggs quits as Wales coach ahead of domestic violence trial

Ryan Giggs has quit as Wales coach with immediate effect, saying on Monday he didn’t want his upcoming trial on charges of domestic violence to destabilize the national team heading into its first appearance at the World Cup since 1958.

The Manchester United great has been on leave from his post since November 2020, with his assistant, Robert Page, guiding the Welsh to the World Cup in Qatar via the European playoffs this month.

Giggs is accused of controlling and coercive behavior against his former girlfriend from August 2017 to November 2020. He is also accused of assaulting her and her sister. The trial is due to start on Aug. 8.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to manage my country,” Giggs said, “but it is only right that the Wales FA, the coaching staff and the players prepare for the tournament with certainty, clarification and without speculation around the position of their head coach.”

Giggs has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A backlog of cases at Manchester Crown Court has delayed the start of the trial.

“Whilst I am confident in our judicial process, I had hoped that the case would have been heard earlier to enable me to resume my managerial responsibilities,” he said. “Through nobody’s fault the case has been delayed.

“I do not want the country’s preparations for the World Cup to be affected, destabilized or jeopardized in any way by the continued interest around this case.”

Giggs played a record 963 times for Man United before retiring in 2014. He also made 64 appearances for Wales and was hired as coach of his national team in January 2018.

Giggs qualified Wales for the most recent European Championship, which was delayed by 12 months to 2021 because of the pandemic. Page led the Welsh in that tournament.

“I have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed some unforgettable moments during my three years in charge of the national team,” Giggs said. “I am proud of my record and will cherish those special times forever.”…

Football / Sports

Depay nets late winner as Netherlands beat Wales

Lively forward Noa Lang scored his first international goal and Memphis Depay got a late winner as group leaders Netherlands secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Wales in their Nations League Group A4 clash at a festive De Kuip in Rotterdam on Tuesday.

After Lang had opened the scoring, Cody Gakpo added a second for the home side before Brennan Johnson pulled a goal back for the visitors.

That was the way it stayed until Gareth Bale netted a 92nd-minute penalty which looked to secure a point for the Welsh, but Depay, who missed a penalty late on in the 2-2 draw with Poland last time out, still had time to score the winner.

Netherlands lead Group Four with 10 points from their four games, three ahead of second placed Belgium. Poland (four points) and Wales (one) fill the bottom two positions.

The Dutch have now won all 10 matches they have played against Wales, but were made to work hard for this latest victory.

The pace and quality on the ball of their young forwards had the Wales defenders chasing shadows in the opening stages and the home side were rewarded with two goals.

Lang had already forced a good save from goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey before he found the back of the net on 17 minutes as he twisted and turned past three Wales defenders and rifled his shot into the net.

Gakpo then scored in similar fashion six minutes later as it was his turn to bamboozle the visitors’ defense, holding off four defenders before a fortunate ricochet back into his path allowed him to fire low into the bottom corner of the goal from the edge of the box.

Wales mounted a rare attack midway through the opening half after they were gifted possession by Jordan Teze in the midfield. Johnson was able pick his spot from the edge of the box with a precise finish for a third goal in the game in nine minutes.

Bale looked to have rescued a point late on when he …

Football / Sports

Italy cruise into Euro 2020 last 16 as Wales close on knockouts

Italy became the first team to reach the knockout stage of Euro 2020 as midfielder Manuel Locatelli scored twice in a 3-0 win over Switzerland in Rome on Wednesday, while Wales moved to the brink of joining them by beating Turkey.

 

The Azzurri, now unbeaten in 29 matches and having won their last 10 games without conceding a goal, sit first in Group A and are guaranteed a top-two finish and last-16 berth.

“We played well, we wanted to win at all costs,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini told RAI.

“They started well, it was not easy to win a second game in five days.”

Mancini’s men, looking to win Italy a second European title after their sole success in 1968, host Wales in their final group game on Sunday, with top spot up for grabs.

A new star shone for Italy at the Stadio Olimpico, where they had brushed aside Turkey 3-0 in the tournament’s opening match last week, as Sassuolo’s Locatelli scored twice before Ciro Immobile’s late third.

Captain Giorgio Chiellini had an early effort ruled out by VAR for handball, before the 36-year-old defender was forced off with what appeared to be a thigh injury.

But the hosts always looked the more dangerous side and took the lead in the 26th minute.

Locatelli played a wonderful volleyed pass to his Sassuolo teammate Domenico Berardi on the wing, who powered to the byline and picked out Locatelli for a simple tap-in.

The three points and a place in the knockout phase for the fourth straight European Championship were all but secured less than seven minutes after the interval, when a flowing move ended with Locatelli driving a left-footed shot into the bottom corner from outside the box.

Immobile had wasted a couple of earlier chances but did grab his second goal of the tournament in the 89th minute, curling a low effort past Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

Switzerland will now likely have to beat Turkey in Baku on Sunday to reach the next round.

Impressive Wales see off …