John Toshack ends six-year tenure as Wales boss
Wales national team coach John Toshack today revealed that he has stepped down from the role.
Speculation had been rife this week that the 61-year-old would step down from the position after Wales lost 1-0 away to Montenegro in a UEFA 2012 European Football Championship qualifying match on Friday.
At a press conference today, it was revealed that the Football Association of Wales had come to a mutual agreement with Toshack to end his six-year tenure in the post.
However, Toshack revealed that he had hoped to still be in charge for Wales’ next two Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Switzerland next month.
'Still very much in Euro 2012 qualifying group'
He said that: "To be honest, I didn't decide to finish at the moment, I understood the situation but I was quite prepared to go onto the next two matches. If the results do go against us (in October’s matches), I think I would have preferred that to happen with me still in charge. Wales are still very much in this group, and now the decision has been made hopefully they'll be able to get some positive results in the next two games."
Toshack added that he had discussed the possibility of staying on in the role with FAW president Phil Pritchard after the Montenegro game. He said that: “I discussed things after the game and each of us put our point of view over a few things and really we have come to the agreement that it may be better for everybody concerned if a change was made now."
Names that have been mentioned as potential replacements for Toshack include Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs, former Coventry City manager Chris Coleman and Fulham boss Mark Hughes. Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has said that he would love to manage Wales one day but that it was too early in his career for him to do so, while former Wales, Arsenal and Celtic striker John Hartson has also expressed an interest in the job.
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