Wales head coach Craig Bellamy is reportedly facing strained relationships with players, fans, and management following the collapse of a potential move to become the new manager at Burnley.
Bellamy, who was assistant to Vincent Kompany at Burnley from 2022 to 2024 and had a brief stint as caretaker manager, was a candidate for the vacant manager position after Scott Parker was sacked in April. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) was approached by Burnley regarding Bellamy's potential appointment.
While the breakdown in negotiations is not understood to be related to compensation for the FAW, discussions concerning Bellamy's proposed backroom staff were a point of contention. Bellamy, a former forward for clubs including Liverpool and Manchester City, was appointed Wales boss in 2024 and has a contract extending until 2028. He has previously expressed his ambition to lead Wales in the Euro 2028 tournament.
However, former Wales player and manager Dean Roberts suggested that Bellamy's pursuit of the Burnley role could negatively affect his standing with the Wales squad and supporters. "The players will know that if he'd had the chance he would have left and gone to Burnley," Roberts told S4C's Newyddion. "That after saying this was the best job in the world and how much he was looking forward to leading Wales into the next Euros."
Roberts indicated that the situation would likely become clearer in the coming days. Bellamy's tenure as Wales boss began with the stated goal of guiding the team through the upcoming European Championship qualifiers and into Euro 2028.