April 29- Welsh officials believe their bid to stage group matches at Euro 2020 could be given preference over some of their main rivals.
England, Scotland, Wales and Republic of Ireland have all put forward cities for the pan-European tournament but not all them will succeed when Uefa selects the final 13 in September.
“I think Wales is very much in competition with Scotland and England,” said former Welsh FA chief executive David Davies “There are strong reasons why they might be successful. Wales is a popular nation with Uefa.”
The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff has already been selected by Uefa to stage this summer’s Super Cup on Aug 12. “The history and tradition of a venue matters,” said Davies, “but ultimately it’s also a question of lobbying, pressing the flesh and influencing people.”
The Welsh have indirectly been helped by the Turkish FA’s shock decision to withdraw Istanbul from the running which has left the door open for Wembley to stage the semifinals and final, in turn opening up the group stage and last-16 for the Scots, Welsh and Irish who may end up going head to head for two slots.
Current Welsh FA chief executive Jonathan Ford commented: “We can do it, we’ve got the track record of doing it and ultimately the legacy this would leave in this country would be far greater than any other.”