Former Wales manager Ryan Giggs has opened up on the heartbreak of being unable to lead his country out at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup. Giggs stepped away from his role after being arrested on suspicion of assault and using controlling or coercive behaviour, eventually tendering his resignation during the World Cup year.
Giggs had pleaded not guilty to controlling or coercive behaviour over a three-year period towards his ex-girlfriend, Kate Greville, and also denied assaulting Ms Greville and her sister, Emma, during a row at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester on November 1, 2020. The 51-year-old was due to face a second trial in July 2023 after an initial hearing the previous year ended with a split jury. However, prosecutors dropped their case days before the trial was due to begin.
Giggs had led Wales to Euro 2020, but was gone before the tournament proper as they reached the round of 16 before losing heavily to Denmark. Rob Page initially took over on an interim basis before that summer 2021 tournament, and remained in charge for a World Cup campaign which ended with a group stage exit in Qatar.
“Yeah, I mean, it was heartbreaking,” said Giggs, who was appearing on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, presented by Qatar Airways. “It was obviously a very difficult time because I’m watching it on TV.
“And I’m like…who did we score against? We scored against, I can’t remember if it was Turkey. And we scored late on, and I’m jumping around the front room, and then all of a sudden, I look at the TV, and it’s all the staff and players jumping in the dugout, and I’m gone. Sat down and gone.”
The Turkey game in question saw Connor Roberts score a stoppage-time clincher to seal a 2-0 victory. Wales finished second in their group with four points, but picked up just one point at the World Cup the following year as they finished bottom of a group containing England, Iran and the United States.
After Giggs’ comments, Ferdinand asked if it was a “should have been me” situation. “Yeah, a bit of that,” Giggs replied. “So, it was a bit, yeah, it was a difficult time.”
Giggs also spoke of his desire to bring through a younger cohort of players during his time in charge. Wales reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman, but missed out on the 2018 World Cup after a painful defeat to Ireland in what would prove to be Coleman’s final competitive game in charge.
“I recognised that brilliant players—you know, Chris Gunter, Ashley Williams, Sam Vokes—you know, just players who had done so much for their country and had been… they were just coming towards the end,” Giggs said. “And the way that I wanted to play as well, I had to bring young, and I knew that there were young players coming through.
“I knew there was, you know, the Dan James, Brooks, the Harry Wilsons, Connor Roberts, Joe Rodon—all these players, I knew they were coming through. So I was prepared to sort of gamble with these players. And not the nice, very nice, job of sort of phasing out.”
Listen to the full Rio Meets Ryan Giggs interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify from 6am, Friday 25th April.
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