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Chris Gunter criticises "joke" Euro 2020 format

Chris Gunter criticises
© Reuters
The Dragons travelled over 5,300 miles in the tournament with trips to Baku, Rome and Amsterdam.

Chris Gunter has called the format of Euro 2020 a "joke" and accused UEFA of letting down Wales.

Robert Page's side bowed out of the cross-continent competition in the last-16 on Saturday with a 4-0 defeat to Denmark in Amsterdam.

It was Denmark's first game outside their Copenhagen home, while Wales had travelled over 5,300 miles after playing group games in Baku and Rome.

"Written off before a bag of air was kicked, 3,000 miles from home," Gunter, Wales' most capped men's player, wrote on Instagram.

"Every nation had fans wherever they went, apart from the 350 who broke government rules and bank accounts to be there, you and us deserved more from this joke set up of a tournament, but who said life was fair."

Having had little support in Baku and Rome due to coronavirus restrictions, Wales were then told by the Dutch Government that their supporters were banned from entering Holland.

Denmark supporters, however, were allowed in and a small band of Wales fans, who had managed to get into the Johan Cruyff Arena, were vastly outnumbered in a 14,645 crowd.

Italy Wales Euro 2020 Soccer
A small band of Wales fans made it to games in Baku and Rome amid tight coronavirus restrictions (Riccardo Antimiani/AP)

"Suck it up, keep your chin up, we'll be alright, trust me on that," said Charlton defender Gunter, who won his 102nd cap in the final group game against Italy.

"We did not deserve that scoreline but who said life was fair.

"Have a cry, but then smile that we were dining at the top table yet again.

"And smile even more that we'll be back, and we'll be the ones with the full stadium belting out our anthem that we all deserve."

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Wales attacker Gareth Bale pictured at Euro 2020 on June 16, 2021
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Euro 2024 fixtures header
Monday, July 1
 
5pm
 
8pm
Tuesday, July 2
 
8pm
Friday, July 5
 
5pm
Quarter-Finals
Spain
vs.
Germany
Saturday, July 6
 
5pm
Tuesday, July 9
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Sunday, July 14
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


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