Giggs happy to have avoided Rome opener

WALES boss Ryan Giggs received a double boost last night — avoiding Italy in the opening fixture of Euro 2020 and then hearing news that his star man Gareth Bale had made a rare start for Real Madrid

Giggs knew before the draw in Bucharest that Wales would be placed in either Group A or B, but being paired in the former alongside Italy, Turkey and Switzerland was ideal, particularly as the order of games means they face Switzerland first while Italy and Turkey battle it out in the first game of the whole tournament in Rome on June 12.

‘We wanted to avoid playing Italy in Rome in the first game and we’ve done,’ said Giggs.

‘Italy will be favourites, then the rest of us are pretty competitive and we’ll all probably be fighting for second place.

‘We play Italy in the last game in Rome which is a tough one because they’ve come back in a big way, winning 10 qualifiers.

‘But it’s good to be playing the first two matches in Baku. I’m happy with that.

‘We won there (against Azerbaijan) a couple of weeks ago and playing consecutive matches there means we won’t have all the extra travel, Baku to Rome and then Baku again.

‘We have the opportunity to base ourselves there and get used to the heat and the facilities. Hopefully they’ll adopt us as their second country, having been there a couple of times, and support us.’

Giggs’ second piece of welcoming news came from Spain where Bale made a rare start for Real as they beat Alaves 2-1 to top La Liga.

Bale has been criticised in Spain for posing with a banner that read ‘Wales, Golf, Real Madrid’ as if that was the order of his priorities.

Giggs acknowledges he needs his main player in regular action.

‘I want to see all my players playing so that when they come to camp you don’t have to catch up with fitness or worry about bringing them off after 60 or 70 minutes. That’s all I hope for.

‘Where they play doesn’t matter, preferably at good clubs and Gareth is at one of biggest in the world.

‘He hasn’t been playing for them much coming to the last few camps but he’s done brilliant for us and because of his ability, fitness and passion he can do it, but it’s not ideal.’

Bale has been linked with a move away from Madrid in January but Giggs’ comments suggest he wouldn’t want him to join the Chinese League to prepare for this tournament.