Mark Drakeford urges Red Wall to support Wales at home this summer

The best places to support and watch Wales play football this summer will be the sofa, the local pub or the garden, the First Minister has said.

As Wales’ men’s team prepare to play their first friendly match ahead of the delayed Euro 2020 group stages, the Welsh Government and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) today urged fans to stay at home rather than travelling abroad.

Wales play France in a friendly in Nice on Wednesday, June 2, before taking on Switzerland on June 12.

They will then play Turkey on June 16 in Baku and Italy on June 20 in Rome during the group stages.

France, Azerbaijan and Italy are all on the amber list of countries for international travel to and from the UK.

The UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is advising against all travel to amber and red-list countries to reduce the risk of new Covid variants from entering the UK.

‘Exciting month’ 

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “June will be an exciting month for our national men’s football team and for our brilliant supporters. We all want to see Wales repeat the success of 2016 – competing in Euro 2020 is a superb achievement and we will all want to follow the team’s progress.

“Everyone has shown great team spirit during the pandemic, looking out for each other to keep Wales safe. Unfortunately, the pandemic isn’t over yet and this means we still need to make some changes to our lives to stay safe.

“For football fans, the best way to show your support for Wales is to stay in Wales and support the team from home.

“It’s our very clear advice that you shouldn’t travel – France, Azerbaijan and Italy are on the amber list because the virus is in circulation there.”

FAW President Kieran O’Connor said: “This is a tournament we have worked hard to qualify for and that we know all our supporters have been looking forward to.

“We are all thrilled this tournament is finally set to take place, it’s also clear that playing in different locations during a global pandemic brings with it certain challenges and responsibilities.

“We are therefore asking again for the Red Wall’s co-operation in not travelling to Baku, Rome or Nice this June, ensuring our fans and our communities stay as safe as possible as we all play our part in navigating ourselves through this pandemic.”