Gareth Bale will boost the bid from the UK and Ireland to host Euro 2028 by joining the Welsh delegation in Geneva next month. Bale, the Wales men’s team’s most capped player and record goalscorer, retired from football in January after an illustrious career that saw him win five Champions League titles and three FIFA Club World Cups at Real Madrid. The 34-year-old has now offered a helping hand for Wales to become a Euro 2028 co-host alongside England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Republic of Ireland. Turkey are also in the running to stage the tournament, with the final decision to be made in Geneva on October 10 when Bale will be present. Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney said: “We are hoping for a successful bid and Gareth is very much part of the FAW and what we do. He has been identified as one of the faces of the bid presentation. “Gareth is globally famous. You can get into a taxi in Sydney or Peru and if you mention you are from Wales they will say ‘Gareth Bale’. It is an instant reaction. “When I go home to the west of Ireland the first thing people say to me is ‘how is Gareth Bale?’ “Gareth is so good for us. We went to him and asked him if he would get involved in the Euro ’28 bid and he just said: ‘What can I do for Wales?’ “It was instant – ‘how can I help you get the bid over the line?'” Ten stadia across the five nations would host matches if the Euro 2028 bid is successful – Wembley, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, Everton’s new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, Villa Park and St James’ Park being the venues in England. A redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast, the Dublin Arena in the Republic, Hampden Park in Scotland and the Principality Stadium in Wales – the 74,500-capacity home of Welsh rugby – would also stage matches. The Principality Stadium would be referred to as the Cardiff National Stadium during the tournament due to UEFA rules over sponsorship. Wales hope to stage as many as six matches if the bid is successful, with Mooney having said last October that Cardiff could be in line to stage the opening game of the tournament. Mooney said: “Six games for Wales has been mentioned before, but it is ultimately up to UEFA to decide on the division of games, qualification from the five host nations and things like that. “We’re lucky in that we have a fantastic stadium to offer in a magnificent city. Cardiff hosted a very successful Champions League final in 2017 and UEFA were very happy with it. “But we feel we can get more out of hosting a series of games than from a stand alone match. “There were tens of thousands of Spanish and Italian fans in Cardiff for Real Madrid against Juventus, and they all had a great time. But they were gone the next day. “What the 2016 Euros did for France as a brand, and 2024 will do for Germany, was fantastic. “The Covid-hit Euros weren’t the same and the World Cup in Qatar was a different experience.” Mooney is confident that work on upgrading the Principality Stadium to meet UEFA standards will be completed should the bid from the UK and Ireland prove successful. He said: “Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government are backing the bid and are happy with the projected return on investment. “Millions of pounds will need to be spent on the Principality Stadium to get it up to scratch. It needs new floodlights and a scoreboard. “There are also issues over hospitality numbers and the TV compound. But these are all things that will be resolved.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Eddie Howe ends his Pep Guardiola hoodoo as Newcastle knock out Man City Jurgen Klopp hails Dominik Szoboszlai after bright start to Liverpool career Sean Dyche knows process to revive Everton will take time after another win

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Mikel Arteta believes Basque food is the secret behind the success of a string of managers from the region. The Arsenal manager is one of a number of coaches born in the area of northern Spain to make a name for himself on the touchline. He will come up against another on Saturday in the shape of Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, a former childhood team-mate of Arteta. Aston Villa’s Unai Emery was also born in the Basque Country – as were Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and former Wolves, Spain and Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui. Now Arteta has discussed why he feels such a small area is responsible for creating such success. “The food! We have the best food in the world. The best restaurants by square metre, the most beautiful city,” he said. “It has to be linked to that — what we eat, the way we live. The quality of life in our city is incredible. I think it is related to our roots. The education, the passion about the game. You breathe it within the city. You breathe it everywhere you go. “We played on the beach. You go there on a Saturday or Sunday and there are 300 kids playing on the beach. We have the best food in the world. The best restaurants by square metre, the most beautiful city Mikel Arteta “You sense that in the city. It is not just about now, because in the past they always produced coaches and good players. Somebody is doing the right thing. “When I said the food I was not joking. It is the way they look after the city. The education, the people. “Finding the quality and I am really really proud that I see a lot of people — not only in sport, in other industries as well — that manage to get out and promote our city in the right way. “I think it’s the education that we get. It’s the level of coaching that we get, they really take care of the academy. “You have seen Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao, Eibar all those teams do great work to raise talent and it’s not a coincidence that a lot of players have come through there.” While Arteta and Iraola go way back, the Arsenal boss insists there will be no room for niceties come 3pm on Saturday. “Very easy. You are in winning mode,” he replied when asked how easy it will be to put aside their friendship at the Vitality Stadium. “Get the best for your team and get in the battle. Before and after is a different story, especially after, but during there is nothing there. “He was really excited to come. He was really complimentary about the club and the support he was getting with players and staff. He was happy to be part of the league. “We know each other really well. We played together, we had fantastic times together. We played together in Antiguoko, which is a team in San Sebastian – that’s the beauty of football that 30 years later we are here together in the Premier League as managers. I’m really happy for that.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ange Postecoglou had a love of Liverpool as a youngster but says ‘things change’ Only action from players will prompt changes to brutal schedules – Pep Guardiola Ben Earl raised eyebrows when he first arrived at Saracens, says Maro Itoje

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