Wales in hard position after Bellamy link – Blake
Former Wales striker Nathan Blake says the collapse of Craig Bellamy's proposed move to Burnley has left Wales in a "hard position" as they head into their Nations League A campaign. Bellamy, 47, appeared close to becoming Burnley's head coach in the summer, only for the switch to fall through despite him having earlier rejected club offers to commit to Wales; he is now in the third year of his four-year FAW contract. Blake and former international Nia Jones both suggested the episode could damage player trust and respect, adding pressure on Bellamy as he prepares Wales for a tough Nations League group with a home Euros as the long-term prize.
Wales are winless in four matches in 2026 and missed out on the World Cup after a play-off semi-final penalty defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina in March. Since the Burnley move collapsed, assistant boss Piet Cremers has left to join Club NXT and under-19s coach Chris Gunter has departed for Oxford United. Wales begin their Nations League campaign away to Portugal on 24 September and Denmark three days later, before home fixtures against Norway and Denmark in October, and away to Norway and home to Portugal in November.
- Bellamy's collapsed Burnley move leaves Wales in "hard position" – Blake
- Wales winless in four 2026 matches, missed World Cup qualification
- Nations League campaign starts 24 September away to Portugal
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Wales are a national football team preparing for the Nations League, a competition that also offers a route to qualifying for the next European Championship. Their head coach is Craig Bellamy, a former Wales striker who took charge of the team and is currently partway through a four-year contract with the Football Association of Wales (FAW). Earlier this year Bellamy was strongly linked with becoming head coach of English club Burnley, having previously turned down other club offers to stay with Wales, but that move ultimately did not go ahead.
The failed switch has prompted questions from former Wales players, including Nathan Blake and Nia Jones, about how the episode might affect Bellamy's standing and the trust of his squad. It comes at a difficult time for the team, who have gone four matches without a win in 2026 and missed out on next year's World Cup after losing a play-off match on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Two members of Bellamy's coaching staff have also since left their roles.
This background matters because Wales are about to begin a demanding set of Nations League fixtures against Portugal, Denmark and Norway, with a home European Championship still seen as a long-term goal for the team. The mixture of results, coaching changes and questions over Bellamy's future forms the context in which his side now heads into these games.