Not ideal behaviour from your national team’s captain
Wales skipper Ashley Williams has landed himself in some mildly temperate water after being filmed calling Cardiff supporters ‘mugs’ in a video that was originally tweeted by the UEFA Nations League account.
Since deleted, the footage shows the Stoke City defender, on loan from Everton, turning to former teammate Joe Allen and saying:
“Look at these mugs doing the Ayatollah mate.”
https://twitter.com/SCFC_Rhys/status/1063517639769772034
‘The Ayatollah’, of course, is a celebration associated with Cardiff City Football Club that involves repeatedly patting your head.
Williams and Allen are known for being two key players for Cardiff’s South Wales rivals Swansea City, which explains the reaction.
The context of the situation, however, remains unclear, although it has been suggested he was simply commenting on pictures of Cardiff City supporters and players that decorate the walk to the dressing room inside the stadium.
Reactions on social media have been, well, divided, as you can see. Swansea supporters are of course thrilled that Williams hasn’t forgotten Jacks affiliation quickly. He did, after all, spend 8 seasons at the club during which they were promoted from League One to the Premiership.
Others are calling for the Wolverhampton-born defender, who has earned 83 caps for the country of his grandfather, to be dropped from the national team entirely, arguing that he should leave any club allegiances to one side whenever he is representing the national side.
However the furore continues, it won’t be enough to distract from Ryan Giggs underwhelming performance as manager since his controversial appointment in January.
Wales travel to Tirana on Tuesday for a friendly match against Albania after Friday’s 2-1 defeat at Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium ensured that Denmark would be promoted to the UEFA Nations League A at their expense.
