Leeds United captain Ethan Ampadu admits the bombshell news of Manchester City’s guilty verdict has been a topic of conversation in the Wales camp.
City were found guilty of 114 charges brought against them by the Premier League this week. The serial champions are said to have arranged ‘sham’ contracts to artificially inflate revenue by almost £900million, while also reducing costs over a near-decade long period.
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Punishment could include expulsion from the Premier League or a monumental points deduction, with discussion dominating the football news cycle during the international break. And it’s made its way into the daily training ground chatter in Wales too.
Ethan Ampadu was quizzed on the Man City guilty verdict while away with Wales.placeholder image
Ethan Ampadu was quizzed on the Man City guilty verdict while away with Wales. | Getty Images
“Yeah, I think naturally everyone talks about it,” Leeds skipper Ampadu admitted when asked about the verdict. “I don't think I have an opinion on it, to be honest with you.
“It's one thing that will be sorted elsewhere at some time. When that will be, I'm not sure, so I think everyone will be waiting to see. But also, we'll still talk about it.”
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As speculation over potential relegations and transfer bans continues, many of City’s players have international responsibilities. Striker Erling Haaland is away with Norway who face Ampadu’s Wales in Cardiff tonight.
And he’s in red-hot form too, scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Denmark before bagging another as Norway lost 2-1 to Portugal on Sunday. Ampadu knows what to expect from Haaland but knows he is not tonight’s only threat.
“He scores goals, gives fear to opposition,” Ampadu said. “But I think their full squad are very good players, so you have to keep an eye on everyone, just like you do in every other game. But we also are very aware of his strengths.”
With the decision taken to combine two international breaks, Ampadu and his Wales teammates have four games to play in the space of just 10 days. While it means longer runs of club-level football through the autumn, a condensed first break offers an early physical challenge.
“No choice,” Ampadu said when asked if he and the Wales squad can cope physically. “We have to.. We all want to play. We all feel physically fine. We often play Saturday and Tuesday every week at our clubs.
“So it's obviously a different intensity, international football, but it's one we're all prepared for. Like I said, we can't shy away from it, we have to embrace it.”