Welsh football fans digesting the news of Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from Chelsea must be wondering: How did they do that? Not “why did they do that?” but how? How could they possibly have decided on their manager’s future over one expensive restaurant meal, a mere two days after the end of the season?

Wales boss Rob Page intends to “give everything” to qualify for the World Cup and repay the faith of those backing him. The Football Association of Wales quickly announced it would be sticking by Page as manager after the heartbreaking failure to reach Euro 2024.

Wales youth internationals Mackenzie Bradbury and Ollie Bostock acknowledge their side’s game against Austria on Thursday is crucial if Wales are to qualify from group B in the U17 European Championship. The two players – who play for Wolves and West Brom, respectively – know there is much they can improve on from their 2-0 defeat against Denmark in Wales’ opening match of the tournament in Cyprus.

Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson has welcomed the “science” to understand why so many female footballers suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries after losing Elise Hughes for the rest of the UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying campaign. Hughes was top Crystal Palace scorer with 16 goals in 21 games as the Eagles secured promotion to the Women’s Super League by winning the Championship title.

Former Wales talisman Gareth Bale believes Jude Bellingham would be in a strong position to win the Ballon d’Or by inspiring England to Euro 2024 glory. No Englishman has won the honour as best player in the world since Michael Owen’s success in 2001, but Bellingham’s remarkable impact at Bale’s former club Real Madrid has put him top of the contenders alongside club colleague Vinicius Junior.

Rob Edwards admitted the doubters were right about Luton after they were relegated from the Premier League following a final-day 4-2 defeat to Fulham at Kenilworth Road. Adama Traore opened the scoring for the Cottagers with Raul Jimenez on target twice and Harry Wilson rounding things off midway through the second half. Carlton Morris (penalty) and Alfie Doughty scored to make it 1-1 and 2-3, but the visitors had too much.

Four Welsh players are heading to Wembley and there could be a fifth by around 10pm on Friday night. Leeds United’s quartet of Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Dan James and Connor Roberts are all into the Championship play-off final after their 4-0 demolition of Norwich City. “Towards the end of the season, there was a lot of talk about how we were playing; how we weren’t on the front foot, how we weren’t aggressive, how we weren’t clinical,” said Ampadu.

Sophie Ingle can help provide Emma Hayes with the perfect send off to her spell at Chelsea with a seventh Women’s Super League title this weekend. Wales captain Ingle’s team are back in control of the race heading into Hayes’ final game in charge.

Ethan Ampadu has insisted he has never lost faith that Leeds United would make it back to the Premier League this season. The Wales star played another key role in guiding Leeds to a powerful 4-0 victory over Norwich City on Thursday night at a pulsating Elland Road.

Osian Roberts has achieved hero status in Como after winning promotion to Serie A but has no qualms stepping back for Cesc Fabregas to resume his managerial career. The Welshman masterminded Como’s return to the top flight of Italian football after a 21-year absence last Friday, and the town famous for its lake, tourism and being the home of Hollywood actor George Clooney partied long in to the night. Roberts’ great friend Ian Rush, the former Liverpool and Wales striker, has already been in touch over plans to watch his old team play Como next season.

Former Wales international pair Rob Edwards and Craig Bellamy are dropping out of the Premier League, with Luton Town boss Edwards admitting it is getting harder for clubs from the Championship to compete. For just the second time in Premier League history all three promoted sides are heading back down to the Championship after a season that has exposed the growing gulf between English football’s top two tiers.

Two coaches – both former Wales internationals – will walk the Premier League relegation tightrope this weekend, desperate to avoid the drop. Craig Bellamy and Rob Edwards were once Wales teammates, but they are now both fighting for survival on the penultimate weekend of the season.

Bolton’s Welsh striker Aaron Collins is 90 minutes away from playing in the Championship next season after his wonderful goal sent his club on their way to a Wembley play-off final. Collins – a former Wales U19 cap- secured his place in the League One play-off final despite Bolton being beaten by Barnsley at the Toughsheet Community Stadium as Ian Evatt’s side edged the visitors 5-4 on aggregate.

Swansea City head coach Luke Williams admits he has a busy summer ahead after the 1-0 defeat against Millwall in the final game of the season saw his side finish 14th in the Championship. Millwall climbed to 13th in the table off the back of eight wins in 13 games since their former Cardiff City boss Neil Harris started a second spell at The Den in February.

Rob Edwards has promised his Luton Town side will “keep going” after a 1-1 draw with Everton at Kenilworth Road saw them miss the chance to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone. The former Wales defender is battling to keep his club in the top flight and continue flying the flag for his country.

Seven Welsh players have the opportunity to head towards the Premier League on Saturday – although not all of them will make it. The Championship promotion odds are certainly stacked against the Leeds United quartet of Ethan Ampadu, Dan James, Joe Rodon and Connor Roberts.

Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds plan to develop the club’s SToK Racecourse home into a stadium with up to 55,000 seats. The Red Dragons will be playing in League One next season after back-to-back promotions and attracting a worldwide fan-base following the success of the FX docuseries ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ and the presence of their Hollywood A-listers.

For 64 years, Terry Medwin was the last Wales player to score at a World Cup. Medwin, who has died at the age of 91, scored the winner in a 2-1 play-off victory over Hungary at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. The goal set up an ultimately unsuccessful quarter-final against eventual champions Brazil – a contest decided by Pele’s first World Cup goal – but Medwin’s place in Welsh football history was secure.

It seems appropriate that Swansea City can end their season with an identical record to their current high point, achieved back in October Nothing would more clearly illustrate a wasted few months in the club’s history. If the Swans beat Millwall at home on Saturday – they are 21/20 favourites with DragonBet to do so – they will have gained four wins and a draw from the final five matches of their Championship campaign.

Neil Gibson was full of praise for his Connah’s Quay Nomads teams after they ended The New Saints’ dream of the treble by winning the Welsh Cup Final, 2-1. That vision – which included going unbeaten in domestic matches in Wales – went up in smoke as Josh Williams produced a wonder goal to earn the Nomads their second JD Welsh Cup triumph.