Rob Page, the manager of Wales, expressed his pride in the players despite the heartbreaking loss in a penalty shoot-out to Poland in the Euro 2024 play-off.

A dejected Rob Page, the head coach of Wales, showed his appreciation to the fans as the final whistle blew in the UEFA EURO 2024 Play-Offs Final match against Poland at Cardiff City Stadium on March 26, 2024. Despite their failure to qualify for Euro 2024, Page insists that the nation should be proud of his players.

In a heartbreaking fashion, the Red Dragons were beaten on penalties by Poland after a 0-0 draw in regular and extra time. The hosts were dealt a blow when Chris Mepham was sent off deep into extra time. The match then went to a shoot-out, where Daniel James had his spot-kick saved by former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Page acknowledges the disappointment of being beaten in such a manner, especially considering how well his team performed. He states, “It is a cruel game. That’s what I’ve said to the players. We were one kick away from qualifying. It hurts. I thought we were the better team. My message to the players at half-time was ‘we’re the better team. We will go on to win this game.'”

Despite the setback, Page believes that there is something positive happening with this group of players. He expresses his pride in their progress, saying, “I’ve just said to the group in there ‘look how far we’ve come that we’re that disappointed that we’ve not qualified for a major tournament.’ There’s something good happening with this group, absolutely. I’m just so, so proud of that group.”

Wales had never qualified for a European Championships before 2016, when they reached the semi-finals. They also made it to Euro 2020 but were eliminated in the round-of-16. In the Qatar 2022 World Cup, they were knocked out in the group stages. Despite not making it to Germany, Page believes that there is a bright future ahead for the country.

“The nation should be proud of them,” he adds. “They put a shift and then some in tonight to try and get us there. We’re disappointed, but we’ll be bigger and stronger for having gone through this horrible experience. This group is going somewhere. They’re so disappointed that they’ve not qualified. They’re hungry for it. There’s a lot more to come; a lot of good times ahead.”

Page has been in charge of Wales since 2020, taking over from Ryan Giggs on a temporary basis. This is the first time he has failed to qualify for a major tournament. However, there may be questions about his future as supporters shift their focus to the 2026 World Cup.

Midfielder Joe Allen dismisses any speculation about a new manager, stating that the players are supportive of Page and believe in the team’s improvement. “The two things you have to look for is, are the players supportive of the manager? That’s very evident,” Allen says. “Does the future look bright and is the team improving and that is also evident. He deserves the chance to carry on and the chance to prove himself again.”