3. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:55 pm on 29 June 2021.

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Photo of Llyr Gruffydd Llyr Gruffydd Plaid Cymru 2:55, 29 June 2021

(Translated)

I have two requests to Government, related to the same issue. First of all, I would kindly ask the Trefnydd to ensure that the First Minister writes to the Football Association of Wales to congratulate the national squad on what they've achieved at the Euros. There's always some frustration, perhaps, that, on another day, we could have gone a little further in the competition, but when we see some of the major teams, as they're known, who have gone out in the same round as us, I think we're in good company, and that reminds us just how well the squad has done and just how proud we are of what they've achieved.

May I also ask Government to write to UEFA to to ask them not to adopt the same format for future competitions, because it has created some unfairness on this occasion—the fact that some nations have had to travel many thousands of miles to play their matches whilst other nations haven't travelled at all because they've played all their group games at home? That's given an unfair advantage to some nations and has put other nations at a disadvantage, and that is contrary to the spirit of the competition in my view. A letter from Government to UEFA expressing that point on behalf of this Senedd, and certainly on behalf of Welsh football supporters and the Welsh football squad, would be something we would appreciate.