By Andrew Warshaw
December 14 – The Football Association of Wales (FAW) faces accusations of hypocrisy over reportedly opening disciplinary action against its chief executive Jonathan Ford for saying the next Wales manager could be “foreign”, but “definitely not English”.
Ford is widely credited with having lifted Wales’ profile since being appointed in 2009, most recently bringing this year’s Champions League final to Cardiff.
But the FAW’s ruling Council has set up a three-person panel to investigate a BBC Sport Wales interview in which Ford said: “We have always favoured Welsh people because arguably the passion is there. Somebody said this earlier, Welsh most definitely, foreign possibly but definitely not English.”
The interview took place at a Welsh awards ceremony and referred to the search for a replacement for manager Chris Coleman, who took Wales to the Euro 2016 semi-finals but departed following the failure of the national team to qualify for next year’s World Cup finals in Russia.
The FAW Council are understood to be concerned that Ford’s remarks could be interpreted as discriminatory which, on the surface, seems somewhat exaggerated. Ford is not commenting on the issue but is understood to be bemused about being reprimanded for speaking to the media when his own federation stands accused of actually leaking information about its investigation.
Ford will still lead the search for Coleman’s successor which it is hoped will be concluded by the end of January.
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