Wales start their Euro 2020 campaign against Switzerland this afternoon with captain Gareth Bale hoping to end their drought of international goals.
The Real Madrid forward, who played for Tottenham Hotspur on loan last season, has been key to Wales’ run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals but has now played 11 games for his country without to mark.
“I’m not worried, I know where the back of the net is and I hope if an opportunity presents itself I can take it,” said Bale, who has scored 33 goals in his 92 appearances with Wales.
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Wales will play their first two group matches, against Switzerland and Turkey, in Baku – the capital of Azerbaijan – before flying to Rome to face Italy, which beat Turkey 3-0 last night during the opening game of the tournament.
The Welsh government has advised against travel due to the pandemic, but hundreds have made the 3,000-mile journey from Cardiff to Baku to support the team.
Azerbaijan is on the UK’s orange list, so they will have to self-isolate for 10 days upon their return.
The Wales Football Association is running dozens of summer training courses for children across the country throughout Euro 2020.
“The lockdown has been long and difficult so it’s just great to see how excited the boys and girls are about the Euro,” said Zoe Denman-Ellis, who coaches at Aberdare Town. FC in South Wales.
“It’s great for them and the buzz leading up to this game has been fantastic. We’re all excited and if this looks like the last tournament it will be a great few weeks.”
Wales reached the final four at Euro 2016, knocking out Belgium along the way. Robert Page is interim manager, in the absence of Ryan Giggs who is due to be judged in January on charges involving his ex-girlfriend and another woman.
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-06-12 07:34:00
