Wales manager Ryan Giggs faces a dressing-room rebellion as his side struggles to qualify for Euro 2020.
Defeats by Croatia and Hungary have left Wales fourth of five teams in Group E and led to bitter recriminations about Giggs’ leadership.
Ten of the squad who reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals under Chris Coleman are particularly concerned. “Everyone respects Ryan’s career as a player, but he doesn’t command attention in the same way when he speaks,” said an insider.
“Wales have had ups and downs over the years but players have always looked forward to joining up. The atmosphere isn’t the same now.”
The problems were highlighted at a team meeting after the loss in Croatia when Giggs asked the players what they thought had gone wrong.
Wales need to beat Azerbaijan in their next game to retain any hope of reaching next year’s Euros. “We have made it really difficult for ourselves,” Giggs said.
