Nathan Blake expressed that the failure of Craig Bellamy’s anticipated move to Burnley has placed Wales in a “difficult position” as they prepare for their Nations League A campaign.
The 47-year-old Bellamy was reportedly on the verge of becoming the Clarets’ head coach over the summer, but that opportunity fell through.
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Currently, he is in the third year of his four-year contract with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and will oversee the national team’s matches against Portugal, Denmark, and Norway from September to November.
However, Blake, a former striker for Wales, is concerned about how Bellamy’s connection to Burnley might affect his players.
“It puts Wales in a tough spot,” he commented on the BBC’s Feast of Football podcast.
“It’s challenging to go away and then return—it’s football, and people shift around, but when you decline an offer and then appear to pursue it…
“Returning under those circumstances can affect mutual respect, and I doubt it will be the same.”
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Wales has not secured a victory in their last four matches in 2026 and failed to qualify for the World Cup after a painful penalty shootout defeat against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the semi-finals of the playoffs in March.
Before their friendly matches against Ghana and Romania in June, Bellamy stated he had rejected club offers to focus on Wales.
However, shortly after the Red Dragons tied 1-1 with Ghana in Cardiff and suffered a 2-1 loss to Romania in Bucharest, news broke that Bellamy was on the verge of rejoining Burnley, where he previously served as Vincent Kompany’s assistant between 2022 and 2024.
Since it became clear that Bellamy would not be taking on the role at Burnley, Wales assistant coach Piet Cremers has left the FAW to take over as boss of Club NXT, while Chris Gunter departed as head coach of the under-19s to join Oxford United.
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Nia Jones, a former Wales international, believes Bellamy has some work to do as the team readies for competitive matches next month.
“After Turkey, in his first game, he famously stated it would be the worst we’ll ever be. That kind of passion is invigorating; you’d want to fight for him,” she remarked.
“Regarding the Bosnia match, he said we would go all out, but we fell short. When someone continually makes bold statements that don’t materialize… He has a severe challenge ahead in the Nations League, but the prospect of hosting the Euros provides motivation for him.
“He needs to mend relationships considering the recent events.”
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Wales kicks off their Nations League campaign against Portugal in Lisbon on September 24 before taking on Denmark in Copenhagen three days later.
Bellamy’s squad will then host Norway and Denmark at Cardiff City Stadium in October.
The campaign wraps up in November, featuring a match against Norway away followed by a home game against Portugal.