Euro 2016: Wales have preferred base in France, says FAW chief

Wales qualified for Euro 2016 despite a 2-0 defeat against Bosnia-Herzegovina

Wales have identified a base for next summer's European Championship finals in France, says Football Association of Wales chief Jonathan Ford.

Despite defeat in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chris Coleman's team qualified for Euro 2016 courtesy of Cyprus' win in Israel.

Ford said Coleman and his backroom team have twice visited France to look at training facilities.

"They've got a preferred location and now is the time for the rest of us to put the plans into place," Ford said.

"They've looked at a few sites but that can all change of course, depending on the draw and depending on what other teams get through.

"There are teams that have probably got bases that won't need them any more so there will be an opportunity for swapping and it generally does happen at the draw."

Wales will end a 58-year absence from a major championship next summer, with the draw for Euro 2016 taking place on 12 December in Paris.

The matches will be played in Paris, Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Denis and Toulouse.

Ford, who was appointed chief executive in 2009, said preparations for the 24-team finals in France had started even before Wales qualified on Saturday.

"We have been planning for a little while," Ford told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales.

"We didn't want to tempt fate but when we beat Belgium at home in June we really did realise that we needed some plans in place.

"We've been working as a group of people for probably the last five months on putting the plans together for France in the hope that we would have qualified."

Wales go into the final match of the campaign against Andorra on Tuesday second in Group B, two points behind leaders Belgium.

In keeping with the all the home games so far, Tuesday's match will be played at Cardiff City Stadium but Ford said he would like to see some games in the 2018 World Cup campaign hosted at the Millennium Stadium, where Wales have not played since 2011.

"We've always considered the Millennium Stadium and we measured up both, Cardiff City Stadium and Millennium Stadium, in this campaign," Ford added.

"For this campaign it was ruled out because of the Rugby World Cup and other concerts.

"But we've never ruled out not going there. If the matches are right, absolutely we will [play at Millennium Stadium]."