Despite the disappointing failure to qualify for the Euro 2024, Rob Page will retain his position as the manager of Wales. The team’s agonising loss to Poland in the crucial playoff final, with a penalty shootout result of 5-4 after two goalless hours, at Cardiff City Stadium had raised questions about Page’s future. However, Steve Williams, the President of the Football Association of Wales (FAW), has quickly dispelled uncertainties.
In a public statement on BBC Wales, Williams confirmed that the FAW is maintaining Rob Page’s managerial contract for the impending campaign. He reaffirmed that Page’s contract is valid until the culmination of the World Cup and the FAW plans to honour it.
Page initially replaced Ryan Giggs as Wales manager in November 2020 on a temporary basis, subsequently guiding Wales through the delayed European Championship the subsequent summer. Following Wales’ victory over Ukraine in the final of the World Cup playoffs in June 2022, Page was instated as the permanent manager. At the age of 49, he committed to a four-year contract in the following September, two months prior to the World Cup.
However, Page’s lacklustre performance in the Qatar tournament, with the team gaining only a single point and netting a single goal, led to his popularity among fans dwindling. After the tournament, Wales was faced with the retirement of key players, including Gareth Bale, the record-holding captain, and Joe Allen. Page was tasked with renovating the team for the Euro 2024 qualifiers, where Wales fell behind Turkey and Croatia, thus relying on the playoffs for a third consecutive European Championship.
Despite the playoff final setback, Page maintained positivity, citing his relationship with Dave Adams, the technical director, and the journey of integrating younger players into the team in a span of 12 months. FAW’s chief executive, Noel Mooney, had previously indicated a potential review of Page’s position in October, given the team’s failure to automatically qualify for Euro 2024.
Page and Mooney have undertaken necessary discussions following those remarks, with the FAW expecting to run a detailed examination of the Euro 2024 campaign in the upcoming weeks. This summer, Wales will host a friendly match before travelling to Slovakia on June 9th. The Nations League is set to commence in September, where Wales will compete against Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey. Moreover, the journey towards the 2026 World Cup qualification is scheduled to kick off in a year’s time.