'Looted' Wales weigh up FIFA protest

Wales are considering a protest to FIFA over their treatment on the trip to face Azerbaijan in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier.

The Welsh claim to have been the victims of a string of worrying incidents while they were in Baku, alleging that their baggage was looted as they were waiting to fly back to Cardiff after the 1-1 draw.

With England due to go to Baku for their group six qualifier on October 12, the situation is certain to concern officials at Soho Square.

An FA of Wales spokesman said: “What happened at the airport cannot be blamed on the Azerbaijan FA, but we had all sorts of problems while we were there.”

The Wales party were left waiting on the tarmac for an hour after boarding their flight home before the luggage was finally loaded.

When they returned to their Cardiff base, players found that their cases had been looted and that shirts and kit had been stolen. The FAW also had 20 footballs stolen from the luggage.

But the FA of Wales are more concerned with the astonishing military control of the match at the Tofig Republican Stadium, where England will also play their match.

There were thousands of heavily armed military units ringing the stadium and many hundreds more inside.

Said the FAW spokesman: “We were concerned that in fact the match was run by the army with the Azerbaijan FA having little control.

“There was no secure area for the team bus, which really worried us, and a whole list of administrative problems arose during the trip.”

FAW secretary-general David Collins has been in talks over the problems with senior officials, but no decision on a complaint to FIFA will be made until after Wednesday’s qualifying game with Northern Ireland in Cardiff.