What next for Wales as Euro 2025 awaits?
It was hardly the ideal send-off.In what was Wales' final game before their first appearance at a major finals, Rhian Wilkinson's history-makers had a painful reminder of how tough it can be at the top level with a 4-1 Nations League defeat against Italy.But a spirited second-half reaction in Swansea, a stunning Jess Fishlock goal and the self-awareness of head coach Wilkinson means that Wales will not dwell too long.After all, with little less than a month to go before their opening game against the Netherlands in Lucerne on 5 July, they do not have the time.But what lies in store for Wales between now and their European Championships bow?And what happens next for the women in red before it all gets under way in Switzerland?
Next steps and injury updates
Wilkinson and her fellow coaches will waste little time in analysing their final Nations League results, Wales having lost controversially in Denmark last week before the shocker against the Italians in Swansea.A camp debrief is planned in the next few days, not just looking back at the tactical aspects but the logistical too.Conversations with fellow staff and – in some cases – players will follow as Wales look to learn lessons and move on quickly.Updates will also be required on some of the injuries suffered during the week. Rhiannon Roberts is thought to have picked up a groin problem on the eve of the game in Odense, but the noises are positive the centre-back will be fit for Switzerland.Wales will also await results of a scan on exciting 18-year-old defender Mayzee Davies who suffered a suspected knee injury early in the 1-0 defeat to Denmark, with concern over the extent understandable.
Optional camps for UK-based players
Having gained vital minutes following a two-month injury lay-off – not to mention her wonder goal - Fishlock will now return to the United States and club side Seattle Reign, as will captain Angharad James. The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) side have three fixtures before the division breaks for the summer, with the 38-year-old Fishlock able to get further into her inspirational stride before Switzerland.Meanwhile, back in south Wales, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) will open the doors to its training base in the Vale of Glamorgan for domestic players for two optional training camps.Starting next week, with another the following week, players will be offered training days with coaches should they feel the need.It is not a necessity, with some players recognised as needing downtime rather than more workload, and some who have featured less regularly eager for extra sessions. Conversations between individuals and coaching staff will help form the decisions.Kayleigh Barton is one player who could make the most of the time after her recent injury; the Charlton Athletic forward formed part of the squad for the past two fixtures but did not take to the field.There is the potential that midfielder Sophie Ingle could be involved as she continues her recovery from the knee ligament injury that has ruled her out since September.But with the former captain continuing her rehabilitation at Chelsea, Wales are relaxed over the next steps for the experienced Ingle given the relationship between FAW medical staff and those at the Women's Super League (WSL) champions, who Wilkinson this week praised for their work in getting Ingle back on the training pitch ahead of schedule.
Squad announcement at Yr Wyddfa
After the conclusion of the camps, players will return home as Wilkinson prepares to name her final squad selection for Switzerland on 19 June.And, fitting for a Euros tournament given the tagline of 'the summit of emotions', it will be revealed 1,085m above sea level at Wales' highest peak, Yr Wyddfa.A total of 23 players are likely to be named officially for the tournament but – as was the case with Wales and the men's World Cup in 2022 – extra training places could be offered to players to form part of the travelling squad.
Preparations in Portugal
Three days on, Wales will head to the Cascade resort in Portugal's Algarve for a pre-tournament training camp where work will really step up prior to Switzerland.It is a venue the FAW is happy with from previous stays with the men's squad, while Wilkinson has also approved the facilities – including two Fifa-grade pitches – having spent time there during her stellar playing days over 183 caps with Canada.It is thought an in-house game will take place here with Wilkinson having opted against arranging a friendly against non-European opposition as part of their build-up.
The final countdown
After the work in the sun, the squad will fly direct to Switzerland for the final touches to their warm-up at their team base.Wales will stay in Weinfelden in the north of the country with the training complex having had the personal approval from Wilkinson.FAW staff have already spent time preparing the venue and adding extra touches including a gym and activation area on site, a media centre and two pitches.The team will stay in a nearby hotel having booked it exclusively for their use.From there, Wales will head to the games that they have made history to reach.First come the Netherlands on 5 July at the 16,496 capacity Allmend Stadion Luzern on the fourth day of the tournament. Then comes France in St Gallen on 9 July before their final group game in the same city against holders England on 13 July.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
39 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Michael O'Neill ready for NI's next generation to take another step against old foes Denmark
They have largely continued to fly high since, with the ultimate aim to soar all the way to America, Canada and Mexico for next year's World Cup Finals. The latest stop on the journey sees O'Neill's young guns come face to face with Denmark again – on Saturday evening – this time in Copenhagen at Parken. Prior to beating the Danes 2-0 in Belfast in the last game of the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Northern Ireland had suffered a disappointing campaign. Goals from Isaac Price and Dion Charles provided the Green and White Army with hope that all was not lost and since then that optimism has grown with further impressive results and performances plus success in winning a Nations League group. Exciting players like Price, Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, Shea Charles, Pierce Charles and Brodie Spencer have Northern Ireland fans daring to dream again that under O'Neill's management another major tournament is a distinct possibility. The match with Denmark will be the third of four warm-up games this year – with Iceland at Windsor Park on Tuesday – for the World Cup qualifiers which start in September with a double header away to Luxembourg and Germany. In the previous two friendlies in March, Northern Ireland drew 1-1 at home to Switzerland and, weakened by injuries, were ripped apart in Sweden in a 5-1 loss. Given the strength of the Danish side, the game in Copenhagen promises to be a tough test too, though having the likes of Bradley, Hume and Daniel Ballard available for this Scandinavian challenge will help. On what he is expecting, O'Neill said: 'Any nation when they play at home wants to put on a show. You can see in the squad that Denmark have picked they are obviously taking the game very seriously. 'They have players that play in the top leagues and players who are trying to establish themselves in this squad. They will be keen to show they are ready to start big games. 'This is as tough a test as we can expect to get. I felt this game was as close as we could get to possibly playing Germany in September away. That game is in Cologne which is a very similar stadium so it will give us the best preparation possible.' Asked if he was fearful of the game being as difficult as the one in Sweden, O'Neill stated: 'There's no point playing teams you will beat all the time. You won't get any better if you do that. 'We are a Pot 3 team, so if we are going to qualify for a tournament we will have to get results that people don't expect and we have to find a way to deal with teams in Pot 1, which Denmark have consistently been. The result is always important but this is preparation for September. 'We talked about the Sweden game and we were very young on the night and the result was a little bit harsh on us, but that is what international football can do. It can be harsh on you. The important thing is if we go through difficult moments against Denmark we are able to stay in the game and find a way back into the game.' Reflecting on the last match with the Danes, which was a launchpad for his youthful side, O'Neill declared: 'We came off a bad, a disappointing result in Finland (a 4-0 defeat) and the most important thing was we got a good reaction. 'It was a very disciplined performance that came with two very good goals. We counter-attacked extremely well and limited Denmark to very few opportunities in the game. 'They maybe look at the game and say that they had already qualified (for Euro 2024) at that point in time, but for us it was about taking a step forward and that's what we managed to do. 'We took that step forward into the games in March (2024 drawing in Romania and winning in Scotland) and subsequently into the Nations League. 'It was an important game for us because it did set a trigger a confidence in a group of players that, until that point, hadn't won a lot of games at international level. 'Subsequently, I think in the last 13 international games we've been beaten by Spain, Sweden and Bulgaria all away from home. 'There's been a lot of progression, a lot of learnings in that period from the group of players. 'But we've still got a long way to go. The time to judge an international footballer really in terms of the level that you get to is probably 24-25. 'Some players don't even get the opportunity to play international football until they're 24-25. By the time this group of players hits that age group, I'm hoping that if the progression continues, we'll have an experienced team that will come here even better prepared than we will be on Saturday night.' Out of the 26 players originally selected for the June internationals, only Paddy McNair is out after picking up an injury in the four day Marbella training camp. It means the only player in his 30s left in the squad is George Saville. O'Neill added: 'It's a friendly game. They've got nothing to fear from this type of game and we'll have to go and play. I think that this is a good opportunity for our players.'
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Man City star delivers damning verdict on Club World Cup as he reveals why his team do NOT want to be in it
Manuel Akanji has broken ranks by openly criticising Manchester City 's upcoming Club World Cup schedule. Pep Guardiola 's side have been drawn into Group G of the competition - alongside Juventus, Al-Ain and Wydad FC - which is set to kick-off next weekend, just three weeks after the Premier League season concluded. If City go all the way in the tournament, they could find themselves playing until mid-July, giving players just a month off before the 2025-26 season starts. For many players, these past couple of weeks have not provided them the opportunity to kick back and relax for the summer, as they have international football duties to attend to. And Akanji, who is currently in the US on Switzerland duty for their upcoming pair of friendlies, has candidly spoken out against the fixture congestion. The centre back said: 'I have been a strong critic of this competition for some time now. We players would love to have some holidays, and some time for our bodies to rest.' Coming off their first trophy-less season under Guardiola since 2017, it is unsurprising that City's players are not keen to get right back onto the field after just a few weeks. Akanji went on to explain that the rest of the squad are 'not exactly overjoyed' about the upcoming games, which come off the back of a 57-game campaign. The 29-year-old added: 'My City teammates are not exactly overjoyed about the tournament either. But it's now right in our faces, and there is nothing we can do about it. 'If we take part, then of course we want to win it. But if we reach the final, then the time period for us to recover ahead of the new season will become even shorter.' When asked about City's underwhelming 2024-25 campaign, Akanji offered an optimistic verdict and argued it could have been 'far worse' than it turned out to be. City finished third, earning them a spot in next season's Champions League competition, while they were dispatched in the FA Cup final by Crystal Palace, and knocked out of the EFL Cup and Champions League in the earlier rounds. 'Set against the expectations we have, this hasn't been a good season,' Akanji continued. 'We finished third in the Premier League, three points behind Arsenal, and qualified for the Champions League. 'But it is still our worst campaign for some time. However, Pep Guardiola still said he was proud of us for never giving up. The season could have finished far worse than it did.' The stakes are higher this year, with a mammoth £1billion prize pot shared between 32 teams Teams are expected to take this year's Club World Cup more serious than ever before, considering the mammoth prize pool at stake. The side that takes the trophy home will receive a windfall of $40m (£30m), while a team winning of their games could see them land up to $125m (£92m). For reference, the winner of the Champions League earns around £120m, while the Premier League champions typically earn between £38m and £40m for finishing first. From this year onwards, the Club World Cup will take place once every four years, the next rendition coming in 2029.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
The magic of the Nations League
In common with the fiendishly complicated lunchtime TV quiz show Turnabout that was broadcast on the BBC during the 1990s, it is possible to watch and thoroughly enjoy the Nations League without having the foggiest idea what on earth is going on. Dreamed up by Uefa several years ago to eliminate the need for the kind of pointless international friendlies that – [Football Daily checks fixture list] – are taking place across Europe this weekend, the Nations League has managed to inveigle its way into the subconscious of most football fans to the extent that they know it is A Thing, even if the vast majority of them remain completely baffled by its format and are at a loss to explain why it exists. Of course, like an entertaining Adrian Chiles Big Website column about the wisdom of purchasing mustard shorts when you know everyone will hate them or doing a naked forward roll, not everything has to be of the weightiest significance for us purists to consider it worthwhile. And in Thursday night's Nations League semi-final between Spain and France, we were served up a bona fide treat. Described in many quarters as a nine-goal 'thriller' despite Spain having enjoyed a 4-0 and 5-1 lead, it was still a close and important enough game to prompt complaints from Kylian Mbappé about the referee's timekeeping when the official blew his final whistle seconds after France had pulled the score back to 5-4, three minutes into added time. 'When two great teams like this play you sometimes see a lot of goals,' explained Lamine Yamal who, along with the France substitute and Manchester City target Rayan Cherki, was the standout player on the pitch. 'They will make you suffer until the end but we went to the final despite the mistakes we made. We were aware of what we wanted to do. We wanted to make history. The greatest thing when you are winning is to keep winning.' Having qualified for their third successive Nations League final, Spain can look forward to an all-Iberian showdown against Portugal on Sunday night, when Lamine Yamal will come up against Cristiano Ronaldo, who won his first Premier League title with Manchester United a couple of months before the 17-year-old Spaniard was born. 'He's a football legend,' added Lamine Yamal of Ronaldo before the final at Munich's Allianz Arena. 'I have huge respect for Cristiano but I will do my job, which is to try to win.' Whether he knows what the prize is that's up for grabs in Sunday's Sphere Game remains to be seen. 'I think he went over there with a point to prove. I think he wanted to prove Manchester United wrong and prove people in the Premier League wrong. He has gone over there and done that pretty successfully. That's credit to him, credit to his attitude and his determination to be the best version of himself. Now he is a king over there' – Scotland skipper Andy Robertson hails teammate Scott McTominay after his year for the ages with Napoli. I can't be doing with the Club World Cup, and I've never had much time for narcissism's favourite goalhanger Cristiano Ronaldo (yesterday's Football Daily). But I would love it, absolutely love it, if Gianni Infantino had no option but force him to sign for Auckland City to try and wrench those coins for the bloody competition. Apologies to Auckland City goal machine Ryan De Vries for suggesting it, but sometimes annoying Ronaldo must prevail. And apologies to New Zealand if Ronaldo then has to sod off down there for a bit, but it is time for another continent to take its turn to support the weight of his ego' – Jon Millard. Re: Eberechi Eze on England's preparations (yesterday's News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). Taking tablets and getting on a bike? Thomas Tuchel's training methods remind me of many nights out in Amsterdam a few years back' – Gerry Rickard. It has been mentioned that Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is leaving Manchester City and being replaced by a Dutch midfielder. Is that really the case or does KDB just not want to play in any Reijnders games?' – Michael Glogower. If you do have any, please send letters to Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is … Gerry Rickard. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here. O Globo marked the start of the Carlo Ancelotti era with Brazil by assigning a reporter to watch the new manager's mastication during the dull 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw in Ecuador. 'During the first half, Ancelotti chewed five pieces of gum,' it declared. 'In the second half, the new coach of the national team chewed three more pieces of gum. In total, he chewed eight pieces of gum.' More as we get it. Lyon defender Nemanja Matic and Le Havre striker Ahmed Hassan have been handed two-game bans with a further two matches suspended after they concealed Ligue 1's anti-homophobia insignia on their shirts. Tottenham have met with intermediaries to discuss a potential move for Brentford's Thomas Frank, as they weigh up Ange Postecoglou's future. Dreams can come true … Gabriel has signed a new long-term deal with Arsenal. 'I hope I win some trophies with this club, because I love this club and my family loves the club, too,' he cheered. Luis Díaz is shopping himself around in a bid to get a better deal from Liverpool. 'We're talking to clubs, it's normal in the market and we're looking at what's best for us,' he cooed. 'I'm waiting to see what happens. I'm very happy at Liverpool, I've always said so. They've welcomed me very well from day one. If they give us a good renewal or I stay there for two years, I'll be happy. Now it's up to them.' Despite the World Cup's expansion to 48 teams, China won't be one of them after they crashed to a 1-0 defeat against Indonesia. 'This team has been fighting for this goal for over 20 years,' tooted coach Branko Ivankovic. 'But we didn't succeed, and as head coach, I definitely bear significant responsibility.' Jordan and Uzbekistan are off to the finals for the first time, though, while South Korea's spot has also been confirmed. Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe … Gennaro Gattuso has done one from his role as coach of Hajduk Split. Some recent events: Nathan Jones gets Charlton promoted to the Championship … speculation links Jones with the vacant job at Cardiff … now Jones signs new five-year deal with Charlton. 'We've just taken one big step, but that's only one big step, we still have a long way to go to achieve our goals and I'm glad that I'll continue to work towards that,' he roared. And it looks like David Beckham could become Sir David Beckham in the King's Birthday Honours next week. There's even a timeline too. The Rumour Mill has you covered for all the latest gossip. Jonathan Wilson on Thomas Tuchel. Here's the Ligue 1 season review, courtesy of Luke Entwistle and Eric Devin. It's a fair bet that you've never heard of TGP Europe. But Philippe Auclair explains why the company behind numerous online gambling websites has left a host of Premier League clubs with an income gap to fill after its exit from the British market. As mentioned, Uzbekistan have qualified for their first World Cup. John Duerden explains how 'Asia's chokers' finally made it. England have announced their 23 for Euro 2025, but questions remain over squad harmony, strength in depth and player welfare, writes Suzanne Wrack. And get these bookmarked if you haven't already: our men's and women's summer transfer interactives. Pelé is stuck in goal at a Brazil training session in Bolton [what a sentence that is, by the way – Football Daily Ed] during the World Cup in July 1966.
