Archive November 12, 2025

Craig Bellamy says the prospect of managing Wales at a major tournament on home soil is a “massive” motivation.

Wales will co-host Euro 2028 alongside England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium expected to stage the opening fixture.

As well as hosting other group games, the 74,000-capacity ground is a potential venue for a knockout round tie.

The schedule will be confirmed by Uefa at a Euro 2028 launch on Wednesday, with Bellamy saying the once-in-a-generation opportunity excites him.

“It’s massive and it was when I signed here – it was always in the back of my mind,” said Bellamy, who was appointed last summer.

Former Wales striker Bellamy never reached a major finals as a player and his immediate target is to lead his country at next year’s World Cup, with his team set for a place in the play-offs to reach the tournament.

Wales face Liechtenstein on Saturday, 15 November and then host North Macedonia the following Tuesday in their final group qualifiers before play-offs for the 2026 finals come next March.

There is no automatic qualification for co-hosts for 2028, but two places will be reserved at the finals should any of the host nations fail to qualify.

And it appears Bellamy – who recently said the Celtic managerial vacancy was “not on his radar” because of his ambitions with Wales – senses the opportunity.

“I don’t know if the public have switched on quite yet and it’s a long way ahead, but it’s massive,” he added.

The Principality Stadium is one of nine venues that will be used for Euro 2028.

The Cardiff venue has not been used by Wales for a competitive fixture in 14 years.

Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney said in September the men’s national side will play at the Principality in the lead-up to Euro 2028, a plan Bellamy says he understands.

Players and fans have championed the idea of continuing to play at the smaller Cardiff City Stadium.

“I only look at what gives us the best chance of winning, no matter where it us,” Bellamy said.

“If Wrexham does [give Wales that chance], then we go there.

“I like playing anywhere in Wales, but we have to fill it. It has to be a full stadium.

Bellamy scored one of his most iconic goals at what was then the Millennium Stadium, in a memorable win over Italy in front of a full house in 2002.

Wales have played only once at the bigger venue – in a 2018 friendly against Spain – since their most recent competitive game there, against England in 2011.

When discussing the Italy victory, Bellamy said: “I also remember the latter stages [of Wales playing at the Principality Stadium] where it wasn’t comfortable with only 15,000 or 20,000 people there.

“It was more beneficial to the opposition and we have to gain every small margin.

Craig Bellamy says the prospect of managing Wales at a major tournament on home soil is a “massive” motivation.

Wales will co-host Euro 2028 alongside England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium expected to stage the opening fixture.

As well as hosting other group games, the 74,000-capacity ground is a potential venue for a knockout round tie.

The schedule will be confirmed by Uefa at a Euro 2028 launch on Wednesday, with Bellamy saying the once-in-a-generation opportunity excites him.

“It’s massive and it was when I signed here – it was always in the back of my mind,” said Bellamy, who was appointed last summer.

Former Wales striker Bellamy never reached a major finals as a player and his immediate target is to lead his country at next year’s World Cup, with his team set for a place in the play-offs to reach the tournament.

Wales face Liechtenstein on Saturday, 15 November and then host North Macedonia the following Tuesday in their final group qualifiers before play-offs for the 2026 finals come next March.

There is no automatic qualification for co-hosts for 2028, but two places will be reserved at the finals should any of the host nations fail to qualify.

And it appears Bellamy – who recently said the Celtic managerial vacancy was “not on his radar” because of his ambitions with Wales – senses the opportunity.

“I don’t know if the public have switched on quite yet and it’s a long way ahead, but it’s massive,” he added.

The Principality Stadium is one of nine venues that will be used for Euro 2028.

The Cardiff venue has not been used by Wales for a competitive fixture in 14 years.

Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney said in September the men’s national side will play at the Principality in the lead-up to Euro 2028, a plan Bellamy says he understands.

Players and fans have championed the idea of continuing to play at the smaller Cardiff City Stadium.

“I only look at what gives us the best chance of winning, no matter where it us,” Bellamy said.

“If Wrexham does [give Wales that chance], then we go there.

“I like playing anywhere in Wales, but we have to fill it. It has to be a full stadium.

Bellamy scored one of his most iconic goals at what was then the Millennium Stadium, in a memorable win over Italy in front of a full house in 2002.

Wales have played only once at the bigger venue – in a 2018 friendly against Spain – since their most recent competitive game there, against England in 2011.

When discussing the Italy victory, Bellamy said: “I also remember the latter stages [of Wales playing at the Principality Stadium] where it wasn’t comfortable with only 15,000 or 20,000 people there.

“It was more beneficial to the opposition and we have to gain every small margin.

Make no mistake – Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn 2 is not a dangerous fight.

I don’t believe Eubank struggled to make weight for the first fight with Benn. He miscalculated it; he got it wrong.

I know a lot has been made of Eubank missing weight the first time, but let us not make this rematch about that.

Eubank was the IBO middleweight champion. It is very easy to miscalculate cutting weight.

He probably drank in the region of six to seven litres of water a couple of days before and then he has tried to dry out and release the fluids. He was out by 0.05lb – it is nothing.

Eubank is not even a big middleweight. He is an average size for the division. He is using these excuses, showing videos of him in sauna suits and sweating it out, but 85% of fighters make weight like this.

Eubank came on stronger in the last three rounds of the first bout – and weight-drained fighters tend to fade.

It is madness that people feel sorry for Eubank, but this is boxing and people buy into the short stories and social media narratives.

It is smart. He has gained a lot of followers and sympathisers towards him making a weight that he chose.

On Saturday, this is a welterweight against a middleweight. It has been going on since boxing started.

Could Benn become a world champion? Yes.

Could Eubank become a world champion? No.

The rematch is going to be about who wants to go into the fire first. It favours the younger man in Benn. Eubank will not want to revisit that place again. It is a really hard fight and it is not easy at his age.

Only Eubank’s career is on the line. He was the IBO champion. A high-street clothes shop has more valuable belts, but it does not take away what he is.

Benn has the perfect narrative of everyone knowing it is not his weight class.

People think I have something against Eubank, but I admire him.

He is not like me and 99% of fighters. I have huge admiration for Eubank and Benn because they were kids born into a life of luxury wearing silk pyjamas.

We have all heard about Eubank’s four nights in hospital and his toenails falling off.

I have been urinating blood for two days after a fight and it was a badge of honour. But when I look back now, I am an idiot. Who wants that?

The hostility between Eubank and Benn is not manufactured. Benn is like me – he is emotionally charged and driven. For Eubank, it is business. He does not care.

These two will have become fond of each other now. When you share a fight like they did, you get respect for each other.

But that respect will go out the window this week. A line will be crossed because they need to do that to get in the right mindset.

Certain things will get said this week to wind each other up. They have family names and their own personal ambitions at stake.

The first fight was unbelievable to watch. It was non-stop from start to finish. These two could have 10 fights and all 10 would be belters.

I am not saying that Benn or Eubank are Micky Ward or Arturo Gatti, but the recipe they bring when they are put together is fantastic.

Eubank thinks he is a better boxer than he is and Benn only knows how to fight one way – trying to take his opponent’s head off for every second of every round.

I had Eubank losing after nine rounds in the first fight. It was tight and he was being outpunched before turning it around in the championship rounds.

All three judges only gave Benn four rounds, but I think he won at least five. I had Eubank winning by one and some rounds were so close.

I told Benn he needed to be careful about getting fatigued. I knew he would tire but it was a shock to him.

Benn could have won if he maintained his output for the full 12 rounds, and he needs to learn from that experience.

A knockout loss for Benn would be disastrous. A victory for Benn would be a disaster to Eubank – he will have lost to a welterweight.

Eubank could catch Benn hard and stop him, but the quick turnaround will favour Benn.

I think he will outwork Eubank and might stop him, but I am edging towards a Benn victory on points in an absolute thriller.

Make no mistake – Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn 2 is not a dangerous fight.

I don’t believe Eubank struggled to make weight for the first fight with Benn. He miscalculated it; he got it wrong.

I know a lot has been made of Eubank missing weight the first time, but let us not make this rematch about that.

Eubank was the IBO middleweight champion. It is very easy to miscalculate cutting weight.

He probably drank in the region of six to seven litres of water a couple of days before and then he has tried to dry out and release the fluids. He was out by 0.05lb – it is nothing.

Eubank is not even a big middleweight. He is an average size for the division. He is using these excuses, showing videos of him in sauna suits and sweating it out, but 85% of fighters make weight like this.

Eubank came on stronger in the last three rounds of the first bout – and weight-drained fighters tend to fade.

It is madness that people feel sorry for Eubank, but this is boxing and people buy into the short stories and social media narratives.

It is smart. He has gained a lot of followers and sympathisers towards him making a weight that he chose.

On Saturday, this is a welterweight against a middleweight. It has been going on since boxing started.

Could Benn become a world champion? Yes.

Could Eubank become a world champion? No.

The rematch is going to be about who wants to go into the fire first. It favours the younger man in Benn. Eubank will not want to revisit that place again. It is a really hard fight and it is not easy at his age.

Only Eubank’s career is on the line. He was the IBO champion. A high-street clothes shop has more valuable belts, but it does not take away what he is.

Benn has the perfect narrative of everyone knowing it is not his weight class.

People think I have something against Eubank, but I admire him.

He is not like me and 99% of fighters. I have huge admiration for Eubank and Benn because they were kids born into a life of luxury wearing silk pyjamas.

We have all heard about Eubank’s four nights in hospital and his toenails falling off.

I have been urinating blood for two days after a fight and it was a badge of honour. But when I look back now, I am an idiot. Who wants that?

The hostility between Eubank and Benn is not manufactured. Benn is like me – he is emotionally charged and driven. For Eubank, it is business. He does not care.

These two will have become fond of each other now. When you share a fight like they did, you get respect for each other.

But that respect will go out the window this week. A line will be crossed because they need to do that to get in the right mindset.

Certain things will get said this week to wind each other up. They have family names and their own personal ambitions at stake.

The first fight was unbelievable to watch. It was non-stop from start to finish. These two could have 10 fights and all 10 would be belters.

I am not saying that Benn or Eubank are Micky Ward or Arturo Gatti, but the recipe they bring when they are put together is fantastic.

Eubank thinks he is a better boxer than he is and Benn only knows how to fight one way – trying to take his opponent’s head off for every second of every round.

I had Eubank losing after nine rounds in the first fight. It was tight and he was being outpunched before turning it around in the championship rounds.

All three judges only gave Benn four rounds, but I think he won at least five. I had Eubank winning by one and some rounds were so close.

I told Benn he needed to be careful about getting fatigued. I knew he would tire but it was a shock to him.

Benn could have won if he maintained his output for the full 12 rounds, and he needs to learn from that experience.

A knockout loss for Benn would be disastrous. A victory for Benn would be a disaster to Eubank – he will have lost to a welterweight.

Eubank could catch Benn hard and stop him, but the quick turnaround will favour Benn.

I think he will outwork Eubank and might stop him, but I am edging towards a Benn victory on points in an absolute thriller.