Features
SAT 11.06.2016
Wales have qualified for the finals of a major tournament for only the second time, having previously reached the 1958 World Cup finals in Sweden. The focus of attention is on their leading scorer, Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale, ahead of their Group B games against Slovakia, England and Russia.
A team of Gareth Bales
The head of sport for www.Walesonline.co.uk, Paul Abbandonato, said a song popular among Welsh fans summed up where their hopes for success at Euro 2016 lie. “The fans have a song which is sung to the tune of ‘Yellow Submarine’ which goes: ‘We all dream of a team of Gareth Bales, a team of Gareth Bales, a team of Gareth Bales.’ There’s no such thing as a one-man team in football, but with Bale and Wales it’s a close as you get.
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) June 10, 2016
"We've done a study. Bale scored seven and assisted two of the side's 11 goals in qualifying. That’s 82% of Wales’s goals. There’s no player more important to his country at Euro 2016 than Bale. The nearest is Zlatan Ibrahimovc with Sweden, who has been involved in 58% of their goals."
Fans' favourite
Abbandonato was keen to stress that the attention on Bale had not gone to his head. "What’s great about Bale is that he doesn’t think that way. When he was presented by Real Madrid at the Bernabeu as the world’s most expensive player, he kept his feet on the ground, and the next day he returned to train with his team mates. He’s very committed to his country.
"In fans' eyes He has eclipsed Ryan Giggs as the most important player in recent times. He's more powerful, scores mores goals and is more committed to the cause. He has delivered when Giggs didn’t in key moments."
Welsh links with LaLiga
Bale's achievements with Real Madrid, helping them to win two Champions League titles over the last three seasons, drive interest in LaLiga as a whole, but Wales has a relationship with Spain stretching back many years. "Wales has a long tradition of links with LaLiga, it's nothing new. John Toshack was Real Madrid manager and spent many years in Spain, and Mark Hughes played there with Barcelona," said Abbandonato.
Wales can do a Greece
"Expectations are that Wales, at their best, can be hard to beat, can sneak a 1-0 win with a goal from Bale," he added. "There is genuine confidence that Wales can qualify out of the group stage and once you’re in the knockout phase, well let’s see. But Gareth thinks Wales can do a Greece (2004) and go all the way to win the tournament."
© LALIGA - 2016