Noel Mooney says Wales expect Craig Bellamy to remain in charge after his proposed move to Burnley collapsed. The FAW chief executive says Bellamy is “absolutely committed” to the job, and the contract in place runs until Euro 2028.
Mooney's public backing
Mooney has been clear about where the FAW stands. He said Bellamy has been “brilliant with us”, adding that he got Wales promoted from Nations League B to A and that the focus now is the autumn Nations League campaign against Portugal, Denmark and Norway.
He also said Bellamy has done “a terrific job here so far” and that Wales are playing “really, really good football”. That is the central message from the FAW side of this story: whatever happened around Burnley, they are not talking like a federation preparing for a change.
Mooney’s strongest line was the simplest one. “Craig is absolutely committed to his country. He is committed to the job.”
The concern around the Burnley talks
The other side of the story is not hard to find. Iwan Roberts said Bellamy may have “burned a lot of bridges” during the Burnley negotiations, which explains why some supporters will view the episode as more than a harmless distraction.
That criticism has a limit, though. Bellamy is still in place with Wales, and the FAW are pointing to the contract he has until Euro 2028, not to a vacancy or a departure. Mooney is also framing the job around the next international window, not around damage control.
The wider context is Wales’ recent tournament run. They drew 1-1 with the USA, then lost 0-2 to Iran and 0-3 to England at the World Cup group stage. Mooney referenced that near-miss period as part of the background to the current reset, with the autumn Nations League A campaign now the immediate target.
For now, the official line is stable. Bellamy is expected to stay, Wales want continuity, and the next fixtures on the agenda are Portugal, Denmark and Norway.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →