BUOYED BY THEIR side’s surprise success at Euro 2016, thousands of Wales fans have descended on Lyon, ready to cheer Chris Coleman’s Dragons in tonight’s semi-final against Portugal.
“Just to be here, and to experience this, is something we will all never forget,” life-long Newport County fan Rob Santwris told AFP.
Led by their talisman Gareth Bale, Wales will meet a Portugal side led by his Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo at the Stade de Lyon for a place in Sunday’s final.
UEFA alloted 5,000 tickets each to Welsh and Portuguese fans for the game when the opponents were decided. But thousands more are expected in Lyon for the occasion.
Wales fans gathered on Tuesday night in the bars, pubs and restaurants in the city’s old town district, Vieux Lyon, and the central Bellecour area ready to cheer their side on.
Fans decked out in red, carrying the Welsh dragon flag, filled the city’s bars on the eve of the match.
Santwris said he has organised eight buses to come to France for Wales’ Euro 2016 games, but treated himself to a flight into Geneva from Bristol for the semi-final.
Buses carrying around 100 fans from Newport alone were expected in Lyon on Wednesday in time for the 1900 GMT kick-off. Thousands more are making the trek over by road, rail and plane.
Groups of fans from all over Wales have been travelling around France supporting their team in their first appearance at a tournament finals since making the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup.
Santwris, who runs a carpet business in Newport, said he has not stopped smiling since Wales’ stunning quarter-final win over Belgium last Friday.
He travelled by bus through the night from South Wales to Lille for Wales’ 3-1 win, then back again in the early hours of Saturday morning.
He said that after so many years of disappointment and near failures in trying to qualify, the current Wales team has seized their chance on the big stage.
Wins over Slovakia, Russia, Northern Ireland and Belgium en route to the last four in France have caught the imagination of football fans in the principality.
“It’s just got better and better with each round, we’re like a boxer who keeps getting back up again,” said Santwris.
“It’s going to inspire the next generation of footballers back home. In the next 10 years, there’ll be the new Gareth Bale or Aaron Ramsey coming through.”
If Wales beat Portugal, either hosts France or world champions Germany are the Welsh team’s opponents at the Stade de France on Sunday.
“It’s amazing that we have just got this far and as for the final against France or Germany, what have we got to lose?”,” added Santwris with a grin.
Have to hand it to the man, he has done a fantastic job with them, most managers of his caliber wouldn’t go near a team like Leicester, they usually only want clubs that can bring the very best players with alot of money in the bank and already have a team of stars. If they get champions league he is kind of manager that can attract star names for next season
I don’t think Ranieri’s stock was particularly high after being sacked from his last 3 jobs so to be honest, a mid to bottom of the table club in any league was always going to be the best he could get but credit where credit is due. I doubt Guardiola or Mourinho could have done a better job. The problems for Leicester will come next season. Will the players lose their hunger? Will they become big time charlies and demand wage increases? If they bring in better quality players, how will that effect team balance/moral, etc…
Top 4 is a near certainty hopefully at the very least top 3 so they go straight into the champions league, adding about 8 players has to be done at least with the extra games and the increased pressure on them , honestly I don’t fancy their chances of doing anything similar next season I hope they prove me wrong but they need to add to the squad
Beano, every manager with a bit of experience, comes to his interview, having been sacked from his last number of jobs, this man is just a breath of fresh air , and it’s showing in the performances, the players get it, they are enjoying themselves , and I think they will win that league, if they don’t it will not be because they freeze it will be because Spurs are coming into form.
I don’t think Leicester will win the league. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve been brilliant and deserve all the credit they get but if you read some of the media you would think they were 5 or 10 points in the lead! If City win this weekend, which I think they will, they’ll go top and I honestly believe they’ll stay there until the end of the season.
Wait for it ………Leicester next home game and all the fans holding up signs saying ……….YES WE CAN . But I really hope they win it . Ranieri is a class act .
‘Never did I blame them and say we conceded this goal because you did this and this’ Take note Gary Neville
A point at City would be a great result at this stage and I wouldn’t put it past them. De Bruyne out is a boost too. It’s that time of year now where teams like Leicester will pick up points against The Gunners so my money would be on them for a result then.
Ranieri for United