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Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale
Chris Coleman fears a Team GB side would ‘cherrypick’ Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale from the Wales squad to feature alongside a selection of mainly English players. Photograph: Huw Evans/Rex/Shutterstock
Chris Coleman fears a Team GB side would ‘cherrypick’ Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale from the Wales squad to feature alongside a selection of mainly English players. Photograph: Huw Evans/Rex/Shutterstock

Chris Coleman dismisses idea of Wales being part of Team GB at Olympics

This article is more than 7 years old
Manager speaks in response to calls for combined side to compete from 2020
Coleman: ‘They’re only going to take two or three of ours … they’ll cherrypick’

Chris Coleman has dismissed any possibility of the Football Association of Wales supporting Team GB entering football teams at future Olympic Games. The Wales manager said there was no appetite whatsoever within the FAW to embrace a tournament he fears would risk derailing their progress and “mess about” with the pride and identity his players feel when they represent the country.

Speaking in response to an issue that has returned to the agenda in recent days, partly through Sam Allardyce, the England manager, saying that he believes Team GB should field football teams at the next Olympics, Coleman made it clear he has no time for the idea.

He expressed reservations about the extra physical demands that a major tournament would bring, predicted Team GB would “cherrypick” Gareth Bale or Aaron Ramsey to be part of a squad dominated by Englishmen and, in a comment that illustrated just how strongly Wales feel about joining together with the other home nations to compete under one flag, said: “We don’t owe anything to anyone.”

One of the biggest concerns among Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is that competing in the Olympics – something that happened in 2012 but was viewed by many as a one-off because London was hosting the Games – could affect the individual nations’ independence within Fifa. Whether those fears have foundation or not, Coleman insisted Wales have no desire to meddle with the sense of togetherness and pride that has been harnessed over the past 12 months or so, culminating in reaching the semi-finals at Euro 2016.

“One thing we’ve got surrounding us at the minute – and you can smell it on us – is the players have got an identity,” the Wales manager said. “They put the jersey on and they wear it with pride. That’s all our nation has ever wanted, really. Of course, they want success.

“They want to see a team on the pitch that, when they walk out there, empty it, for the jersey, for the badge and for the honour. That’s what we’ve got, so there’s no need to mess about with that. Why would we even attempt to mess about with it? For what? I don’t want to jeopardise anything that we’ve got, and we don’t owe anything to anyone anyway.”

Coleman believes it is not in England’s interests either to have players featuring at the Olympics. He said: “I think our boys have a lot of football. But it’s not just the football, it’s being in camp, being away every day, training every day – there’s more pressure, more preparation. I think that’s the last thing any of our top players need and I’m talking about the England players as well. I don’t think it’s fair on them. So our stance hasn’t changed.

“We know they’re only going to take two or three of ours. It actually should be called the England Olympic team really, because that’s what it will be. But they’ll cherrypick Bale-o or Ram-bo – why should we give them up and say: ‘Water them down, take the best out of them and then throw them back to us when you’ve finished with them.’ I don’t think that’s fair at all.”

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