Robert Page in FAW plan if Wales boss Ryan Giggs misses Euros

Former Wales Under-21s boss Robert Page (right) joined Ryan Giggs' (left) senior coaching team in 2019

Football Association of Wales (FAW) president Kieran O'Connor says the governing body has a plan in place if Ryan Giggs cannot take charge of the Wales team at Euro 2020 this summer.

Giggs has denied allegations of assault and Robert Page has deputised for him in the last two international windows.

O'Connor says that the contingency plan in place for the Euros if Giggs remains absent does include Page.

"There are plans in place for every eventuality," said O'Connor.

The FAW president was addressing the uncertainty for the first time as he launched his campaign to be elected as a Fifa vice-president.

"The Euros are two months away, we know exactly what we are doing, we know when we are going, how we are going and who is going, everything is in place," said O'Connor.

"We don't know in terms of manager who is going but there are plans A, B, C and D. If Ryan is able to join us, great, if he is not, we have a plan in place to progress."

Asked whether that plan would involve Page, he said: "I suspect so, yes. It makes obvious sense.

"Rob has been there now for four (qualifier) games, he is part of the team. So there is a plan that will involve Rob."

In February, Giggs, who was appointed by Wales in January 2018, had his bail extended after denying an allegation of assault.

In November several newspapers reported Giggs had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend, his bail has been extended to 1 May.

Former Wales captain Page, Giggs' assistant since August 2019, took charge of matches in November, leading Wales to top spot in their Nations League group.

He continued to deputise for Giggs in March as Wales kicked off their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

O'Connor praised the work of Page, who looks set to continue to deputise at the summer tournament if Giggs is still unable to take part.

"He has done very well, I think the entire team has performed. It's not just Rob, it's Albert Stuivenberg and Tony Strudwick," said O'Connor.

"They have all stepped up to the mark and they have all done really well, really, really well.

"But Ryan is the manager and we hope that his issues are resolved on 1 May."

Wales have planned a warm weather training camp in Portugal before heading off for their scheduled opener against Switzerland in Baku, on 12 June.

Seeking Ford's successor

The FAW has begun advertising for a chief executive to succeed Jonathan Ford, who stepped down in March 2021 after losing a vote of no confidence by the ruling FAW council.

O'Connor admitted there had been a "temporary vacuum" at the top of the FAW, but said: "The staff know what they are doing and the FAW is operating as well as it has ever done.

"When you look at chief executives, they have a shelf life of about five or six years, Jonathan has been here 11 years.

"He did very well during his time here, but there comes a time when change needs to be made and that change was instigated by the council.

"Jonathan's strength was marketing, he did a very good job, but he did not do it on his own. He had a very good team behind him.

"We had a very good team on the pitch and all of those things combined made Welsh football a massive success over the last 10 years.

"But we will move on and we will appoint a new chief executive and I am quite sure he or she will be as successful if not more successful."

He added: "I am quite sure we will have a chief executive in place fairly soon. We have had an awful lot of interest already and the advert has been placed.

"Some very interesting people have rung me and told they will be interested when it is formally advertised."

The FAW is also advertising for a person to oversee their human resources department following the departure of Head of People Angela van den Bogerd in the wake of Ford's exit.

Van den Bogerd is a former Post Office director who was found by a judge to have "obfuscated" and "misled" a court.

O'Connor said the FAW has also begun advertising for Van den Bogerd's successor "with a slightly different job description".

He added: "Between the FAW and the FAW Trust we have 120 employees now and we need somebody there to look after the staff and their HR needs.

"That person will be in place fairly soon."

Fifa vice-presidency bid

O'Connor has formally launched his quest to become a Fifa vice president.

The role became vacant in November 2020 when England 's Greg Clarke resigned over his use of "unacceptable" language when referring to black players while giving evidence to Westminster's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee.

O'Connor will be competing against Irish FA President David Martin and Scottish FA vice president Michael Mulraney.

The vote will be held at the Uefa congress in Montreux, Switzerland on 20 April.

There are eight vice-president positions, but one is reserved for a Home Nations representative, who would serve for two years.

O'Connor is a retired chartered secretary and former chairman of the Institute of Governance in Wales.

He has circulated a campaign video and has been lobbying the other Uefa nations, who will all have a vote.

He said: "We (Wales) have never held this position before and I think I am the right candidate.

"We are up there in the world rankings now, Wales has an identity whereas in the past we may have not had that stature on the world stage, but we are there now.

"I think the improvements and the progress of Welsh football has made in the last 10 years, justifies our existence on the world stage now."

O'Connor added: "I have 22 years of experience within the FAW, I am vice chairman of the Uefa club licensing committee and have been a Uefa match delegate for many years.

"So I am known throughout Europe, I think I have the most experience and I probably have more to offer than anyone else."