Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel is the latest high-profile manager to take issue with the football calendar after admitting his players are physically and mentally tired.

Tuchel’s mood has not been helped by the Bundesliga scheduling their fixture at Cologne for Friday night.

Pre-weekend matches in Germany are generally designed to help teams with Champions League fixtures the following week but coming immediately off the back of an international break does not appear to have done Bayern too many favours.

“People want to see the best players play football with joy and desire,” Tuchel told a press conference.

“The calendar is at the absolute limit, if not over it. The boys are tired. They’re mentally tired, they’re emotionally tired, they’re physically tired.

“There are two more Champions League games next year, there’s a tournament in the summer (Euro 2024), that’s just at the limit.”

Some of Tuchel’s internationals only arrived back in Munich on Thursday, just 24 hours before kick-off.

“It’s our second Friday match. Minjae Kim and Alphonso Davies are only back from their travels today,” he added.

“It’s very unfortunate scheduling, particularly in a sporting sense, but it shouldn’t be an excuse. I don’t want to go on about it.

“We’ve opted for a short trip on Friday morning so that the players can sleep at home. We want to win and we’ll prepare to do that.”

Tuchel will be without defender Matthijs de Ligt and forward Jamal Musiala while defender Raphael Guerreiro is a doubt with a minor problem.

“We’re looking closely at which internationals have had a big workload like Konrad Laimer, Minjae Kim or Alphonso Davies. We’ll decide late on the line-up for tomorrow,” said Tuchel.

Veteran forward Thomas Muller is in the final year of his contract and has seen reduced playing time this season but the 34-year-old has stressed he wants to continue playing next season.

Bayern are understood to want to keep Muller but they have yet to come to an agreement.

“We want him in the team. It’s clear he wants to keep playing. He’s a footballer through and through. Why shouldn’t he keep playing at the very highest level?” said Tuchel.

“I have a very positive impression of him. He’s in top shape and it’s all good. Thomas is a club icon, a living legend. He gets the maximum respect from us.”

A trip to Newbury on Saturday week is a possibility for Dysart Enos having delighted Fergal O’Brien at Huntingdon earlier this month.

Unbeaten in three starts in bumpers, including when blitzing the field to claim Grade Two honours at Aintree in the spring, she enhanced her perfect record on her hurdles debut with a thoroughly impressive display in the hands of Paddy Brennan.

She scorched seven and a half lengths clear of her rivals on that occasion and her handler is now considering a shot at Listed glory in the Play Coral “Racing-Super-Series” For Free Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on December 2, with the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival remaining the five-year-old’s ultimate aim.

O’Brien said: “She will be entered for Newbury and we’ll have a look and see what’s about. We are just trying to pick our way to try to get her to Cheltenham.

“She’s in great form and has come out of the race at Huntingdon well and we keep our fingers crossed.

“There was a lot to like about it, she was a bit keen and a bit novicey at some of her jumps, but at the important part of the race she quickened up nicely.”

Luton have been fined £120,000 by the Football Association and issued with a two-year action plan after their fans’ homophobic chanting at Brighton on the opening day of the season.

The Hatters, promoted to the top flight for the first time in 31 years in May, have accepted the charge and said any fans identified will be banned by the club.

An FA Statement said: “An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed an action plan and £120,000 fine on Luton Town for misconduct in relation to crowd control at their game against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday 12 August 2023.

“Luton Town admitted that they failed to ensure their spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters or followers) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion; and do not use words or otherwise behave in a way which is improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting with either express or implied reference to sexual orientation.”

Luton said they were “an inclusive, family-oriented club” which “abhors abusive chanting such as this and has a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination of all kinds”.

The club said they will continue to promote the ‘Love Football. Protect The Game’ campaign and added: “Those involved were committing a criminal offence and anyone subsequently identified will be issued with a club ban and face potential police investigation.

“Luton Town has worked with supporters in recent seasons to help form the Rainbow Hatters supporters’ group for members of the LGBTQ+ community, who meet regularly to share their experiences of watching the Hatters.

“We will work further with supporter groups to educate and inform on all forms of discriminatory acts to ensure that watching Luton Town is a safe and welcoming experience for everyone.”

Olly Murphy had a double on the card at Market Rasen as Itchy Feet returned to winning ways in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle.

The nine-year-old is a seasoned campaigner for the yard, with his seven victories including the Grade One Scilly Isles Chase in 2020.

He started out last term over fences but reverted to hurdling to qualify for Pertemps Final at Cheltenham, where he finished 11th of 23 after coming home second at Grade Two level in the Rendlesham at Haydock.

Pulled up on his seasonal reappearance at Newton Abbot last month, this time the gelding started at 7-2 and ran a pleasing race to come home three and a half-lengths ahead of Giovanni Change with Dan Skelton’s Le Milos back in third.

“It was nice to get Itchy Feet’s head back in front,” said Murphy.

“At the age he is now, it’s nice to see him be as resolute as he still is, he’s a credit to everyone at home.

“It’s nice to win a good pot with him, they’re hard to win with when they’re at that end of the handicap and it was great to see him win again.”

Murphy’s second winner on the card was The Same, a debutant over fences who made success look easy in the Pertemps Network Novices’ Handicap Chase when jumping well and winning by nine and a half lengths as the 7-4 favourite.

“He was good, he jumped really well. He’s a horse who will appreciate a big track and three miles in time,” Murphy said.

“He was lightly raced over hurdles and he appreciated a fence, hopefully he’s going to be a nice staying chaser for his owners.

“With the size of him he was crying out for a fence, I thought he jumped immaculately for a novice. Hopefully that’ll stand him in good stead when he goes up in grade.”

Stumptown will bid to provide trainer Gavin Cromwell with another big-race victory on British soil in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday week.

The County Meath handler has his string firing on all cylinders at present, highlighted by four winners across meetings at Navan and Cheltenham last weekend.

Cromwell also enjoyed a treble at Cheltenham’s October meeting and is eyeing further riches in the UK with Stumptown, who struck gold at Sandown in February before being narrowly beaten by Angels Dawn in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival.

The eight-year-old was subsequently pulled up in the Irish Grand National and has failed to trouble the judge in two outings so far this term at Galway and Listowel – but Cromwell is hopeful he can show his true colours in Berkshire granted suitable conditions.

He said: “His target is to go to Newbury. I hope the ground remains on the nicer side as he certainly doesn’t want it too deep.

“I think the English fences suit as he’s inclined to get in deep to a fence, as he did in Listowel and made a mistake. He seems to be able to get away with it a bit easier in the UK.

“I’m hoping Ahoy Senor stays in as we’d have a lovely weight (10st 2lb).”

The in-form trainer is also poised to send exciting bumper winner Only By Night over hurdles having secured Listed honours at Navan.

It was initially thought the mare would stay competing in bumpers, but given she is already a five-year-old, Cromwell has had a change of heart and indicated her next outing is likely to be over obstacles.

“She is a lovely mare, she’s five and looks a chaser in the making,” he said.

“I think we will go hurdling with her. I was very undecided at the weekend and then Derek O’Connor got off her and said he doesn’t know anything that would beat her in bumpers for the rest for the year.

“That seemed a bold statement and you don’t know what Willie (Mullins) could come up with, but I think we will go hurdling with her because she’s five rising six and if you go hurdling next year, you are six rising seven and then seven rising eight when you are going chasing.”

Steve Agnew admitted Aberdeen are expecting to host a different Rangers side on Sunday to the version they defeated 3-1 at Ibrox almost two months ago.

The Dons pulled off an impressive victory over the Gers on the last day of September, leading to the sacking of the Glasgow club’s boss Michael Beale two days later.

Since then Philippe Clement has taken over and overseen a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions – including six wins – ensuring Rangers head to Pittodrie this weekend with renewed confidence.

“Obviously that was an encouraging performance and result at Ibrox but there have been changes there,” said Dons assistant Agnew on Thursday. “They’ve obviously changed the coach and results have been good since the new coach has come in.

“Rangers will be slightly different because a new coach usually changes the way he wants the team to play. We’re aware of that and we’ve analysed Rangers.

“We know it will be a tough game but we’re all really looking forward to it. We’re quietly confident. There will be a great atmosphere on Sunday and we believe we’re more than capable of getting the result we want.”

Aberdeen and Rangers meet again three weeks later in the Viaplay Cup final, but Agnew is adamant the Hampden showdown on 17 December will not come into the Dons’ thoughts this weekend.

“I think Rangers at Pittodrie, Sunday lunchtime, is as far as we look,” he said. “All our focus is on that. Anything beyond that, we really don’t look at. Sunday is just an exciting fixture that we can’t wait for.”

Sunday’s match is the first of 12 for Aberdeen in just over five weeks before they sign off for a short winter break after their trip to Ross County on 2 January. Agnew is confident the Dons – currently ninth in the league – are equipped to handle the demands of what promises to be a gruelling run.

“It is a big challenge, the number of games coming in such a short period of time,” he said. “We adapt training because of the amount of games and in the summer the club were terrific in terms of the recruitment so we have a squad in place to take us through this hectic period.

“We’re all quietly confident as a group that by the time we come through all this, we’ll be in a healthy place, whether that’s a cup final that goes well or moving up the league.”

Katie Taylor is ready to shut out the noise and deep dig to gain revenge over Chantelle Cameron in Dublin on Saturday night.

Taylor suffered the first defeat of her professional career in her Irish homecoming at the 3Arena in May but gets another shot at the unbeaten English boxer this weekend at the same venue.

While Cameron scored an against-all-odds majority decision victory to retain her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO light-welterweight belts six months ago, this time around the Northampton fighter has been installed as the favourite.

But Taylor told a press conference on Thursday: “I am very, very grateful for this opportunity again. I have a second chance here and I just can’t wait to fight.

“Whether I am seen as the underdog or favourite, whether I walk to the ring first or second, all that stuff is irrelevant. I am just excited and hungry for the rematch.

“I don’t really take too much notice of what people are saying to be honest. I am very much single-minded and the only people I really listen to are my team, my family and the people that I trust.

“I understand this is a huge fight, I understand this is a must-win fight for me and I can’t wait to step in there now at this stage.

“I know I will perform to the best of my ability on Saturday and it will be a completely different fight to last time. I am just excited to showcase that.”

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Taylor was pulled in every direction during the build-up to the May 20 bout, which marked a historic return to Ireland for the 2012 Olympic champion.

The Bray-born boxer has tried to keep her profile more low-key on this occasion and maintained a steely focus when sitting alongside her rival.

“There is nothing else to say really. I am just ready to fight,” Taylor insisted.

“I hate all the talk, I hate all these press conferences. There is nothing to say. I am just ready to fight at this stage. I am excited and very grateful to have this opportunity.

“I am ready for whatever comes my way. I am ready to dig deep when I have to. That is why I put my body through the trenches week in, week out throughout training camps to be ready for these situations.”

Cameron, sporting gold earrings, also remained respectful behind enemy lines, but warned Taylor would face an even better version of herself this weekend.

She added: “I am not complacent whatsoever. That is why I have put the work in, trained harder than ever and it is the best camp I’ve had because I knew I would be up against a Katie seeking revenge.

“I couldn’t take anything into my stride and think it would be a walk in the park, so I am the fittest I have ever been.”

The 32-year-old, who lost to her Irish foe in the amateur ranks, had originally wanted this rematch to be at 135lbs to enable her the chance to take Taylor’s lightweight titles but was happy to go again at 140lbs and has enjoyed the scrutiny this time.

“I do feel really comfortable,” she admitted. “I am just embracing the week, enjoying it for once. Usually I hate all this, but I am taking it all in my stride.”

Defending champion Teahupoo will lead a strong Gordon Elliott squad into battle for the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle next month.

The six-year-old became the first horse to lower the colours of Honeysuckle when landing the Fairyhouse Grade One 12 months ago and went on to run a mighty race in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

He had to settle for third on that occasion behind stablemate Sire Du Berlais, but Elliott predicts further improvement this term which could make him one of the leading players in the staying hurdling division.

He said: “He’s in great form, he’s doing really well. He will be in the Hatton’s Grace and Leopardstown (at Christmas) as well.

“If he improved five or six pounds from last year, which with age you would like to think he would have, he would have to be in the mix with all those stayers.

“Even last year he was in the mix and was unlucky in the Stayers’ Hurdle, he ran a great race.”

Elliott holds seven entries for the December 3 event and poised to make his return is stable stalwart and reigning Stayers’ Hurdle champion Sire Du Berlais.

The evergreen 11-year-old got his hands on his third Cheltenham Festival victory when edging out Dashel Drasher for a shock 33-1 success in March and proved that was no fluke when repeating the dose with further Grade One glory at Aintree the following month.

“He’s the horse of a lifetime,” said Elliott. “He’s so unimpressive at home, even to look at, he doesn’t do a stroke.

“He’s not getting any younger, but he’s a great horse and we’re lucky to have him.

“It’s hard to get him fit, it takes a couple of runs to get him fit, he’s so laid back.”

Also in line for an appearance in the two-and-a-half-mile contest is Irish Point, who was a Grade One scorer at the distance at Aintree in the spring.

He made a winning return in the Bottlegreen Hurdle at Down Royal recently and Elliott believes he has the potential to campaign over a variety of distances.

“He’s probably a hard horse to place,” continued Elliott. “He’s in the Hatton’s Grace and I wouldn’t be shocked if I went there with him.

“He could (go over three miles), but I just don’t know if I want to go three miles with him at the moment.

“He’s a good horse, but might just be stuck between a rock and a hard place. He might not have the pace for the really good two-mile races and I think he will stay three miles, but it’s whether I want to be doing it at this stage of his career or not, he’s only a young horse.”

Meanwhile, the Cullentra House handler is already looking ahead to March with Gigginstown’s Brighterdaysahead, who made it two from two over timber when claiming a Grade Three at Down Royal and will be pointed at the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

“If you asked me now, I would say it will be one more run then Cheltenham,” said Elliott.

“She’s had two runs now. She’s got a big engine and she’s looked good.

“She’s not keen, she’s just green. If you look at her in Down Royal, it was like her first run – Thurles was no race. But I was happy with her and how she hit the line.”

He also has high hopes for the owners’ Croke Park who having won the Grade Three Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan on Sunday, could be given the chance to enhance his fine recent record in the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle early in the new year.

Elliott added: “He was good, he’s a big horse. He had a few niggly problems last year and I would imagine I would go to Naas now for the Lawlor’s.

“He’s a three-mile chaser (in the making) and when he got there he wasn’t doing anything, he was a bit babyish.”

Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley will keep focusing on his daily routines for self-improvement rather than be derailed by thoughts of Euro 2024 after making his Denmark debut in midweek.

The 23-year-old won his first cap in Monday’s 2-0 defeat against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side had already won their group before the Belfast trip and O’Riley will keep trying to impress for Celtic with his international hopes firmly in the back of his mind.

“The first cap is obviously a good moment, albeit it wasn’t our best performance, but at the same time you are still playing for your country,” he said.

“It was a proud moment for me and my family also. My family were there, my mum and dad, girlfriend and agent/friend.

“It’s obviously a new experience, new team-mates, new players, that’s always challenging because it’s a new environment, new people, so it takes a bit of time to adapt naturally but I found it relatively easy just because they are really nice people.

“The first few days you are a little bit nervous, just getting into it, but after that you are fine.

“It’s not something I gave too much thought to, you are still just playing football at the end of the day. If I am playing with good players and playing under a good manager, it shouldn’t really be a problem to play well.

“And yeah, of course I was disappointed with the result and I was hard on myself after the game because you naturally are when you lose but I received some nice feedback regardless.

“I am obviously in the mix now so it’s about trying to keep improving.”

On the prospect of playing in Germany next summer, the former MK Dons midfielder said: “It was always a target anyway. It’s something I try not to think about too much on a regular basis, it’s more a case of daily processes here, boring day-to-day stuff, that usually helps get you to where you want to get to.

“It’s four or five months to the next camp so there is a lot of football to be played for your club before then and a lot of things can happen in terms of performances, so I will try my best.

“That’s what got me there in the first place and I will try to keep improving as a player.

“I feel good, feel strong physically and mentally, which is progress. I feel like I have improved a lot this season on various aspects.”

One of those aspects is goalscoring – O’Riley has six goals to his name ahead of Saturday’s visit of Motherwell, more than his total from last term.

When asked what had contributed to his figures, the former Fulham trainee said: “A clearer mind first and foremost, I am more open when I am on the pitch.

“Secondly just getting into the right positions to score and then taking a little bit of pressure off myself, not expecting myself to score every game, just going into trying to do my best for the team and naturally you get your outcomes.

“You have to go through experiences. I had to go through the phase where I didn’t score for a long time to know maybe then how to take pressure off myself the next time.

“For me the big thing that has helped the most is just being in the best frame of mind. That’s something I give a lot of attention to on a daily basis.

“I meditate a lot, I speak regularly with my friend/life coach who lives in India. I work a lot with him in terms of speaking about things that were maybe kept inside me for a long time.

“I might not have had the knowledge to understand how to speak about it.

“That has helped me loads, I feel more confident and open to speak to people in general.”

Lewis Hamilton has denied seeking a blockbuster move to Red Bull – and claimed it was instead Christian Horner who approached him.

Hamilton accused Horner of being “lonely” and “stirring” the pot, following the Red Bull team principal’s claim ahead of this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi that the British driver’s camp inquired about a seat alongside Max Verstappen at the grid’s all-conquering team.

A front-footed Hamilton, who signed a two-year contract extension to remain at Mercedes until the end of 2025 in August, also said Verstappen would not want him as a team-mate.

Asked if he approached Red Bull about joining them, Hamilton, 38, replied: “No. I did not.

“I have checked with everyone in my team and nobody has spoken to them. However, he (Horner) did reach out to me earlier on in the year about meeting up.

“I picked up my old phone which I found at home. It has my old number. I switched it on, and hundreds of messages came through, and one was from Christian to get together and have a catch-up at the end of the season.

“He didn’t say (it was about driving for them). He just said about having a catch-up.

“I replied to him (Horner) on my new phone. It was quite late on that I found his message. It was from earlier on in the year, and it was months later (that I replied).

“I just said, ‘congratulations on the amazing season and I hope we are able to compete with you soon’, and he replied repeating the same thing.

“If you really think about it, there are a lot of people here that like to drop my name in conversations because they know it will make waves and if you are a little bit lonely, and are not getting much attention, that is the perfect thing to do, just to mention my name. He is stirring things.”

Hamilton is set to bring the curtain down on a second winless season. Verstappen has won the last three world championships and heads into the final round with a remarkable 18 wins from 21. Hamilton has described the Dutchman’s machine as the fastest ever seen in Formula One.

“I would be more than happy to race against Max in the same car,” added Hamilton. “That would be wonderful. But I don’t think he wants me to be his team-mate.”

Hamilton has been with Mercedes since 2013, and has said on numerous occasions that he could not envisage being at another team.

He continued: “I have so much respect for (team principal) Toto (Wolff).

“We have a great relationship. And I spoke to him when the story broke. I wanted my team to know because if people think those things (about leaving) it is never positive. Hopefully signing with them has shown my commitment to the team.

“Let’s be realistic, every single driver here dreams of being in a winning car. In my younger days, when I had not had a lot of success, joining Red Bull would have been more attractive to me.

“We have had two really difficult years, and if we were able to beat that Red Bull, that would be a way better feeling than just stepping into the best car.

“That wouldn’t do much for me – stepping into a car that has been the most dominant of all time – but working with my team to beat them. That would be better for my legacy.”

Jack Jones is dreaming of Fred Winter glory at the Cheltenham Festival with An Bradan Feasa after the three-year-old performed with real credit behind impressive scorer Burdett Road at the November Meeting.

Saddling what was his first runner at National Hunt’s flagship venue, the three-year-old – who was purchased out of Joseph O’Brien’s yard by owners Christopher and Mary-Ann Middleton – put up a fine display for the Newmarket handler, still holding the advantage when turning for home and approaching the last before ultimately having no answer to the blistering acceleration of the current Triumph Hurdle favourite.

An Bradan Feasa stuck on bravely to pick up a silver medal and although initially trying to convince himself there were options away from the Festival, Jones soon began to eye up a return to Prestbury Park in March for the son of Camelot.

“We will be working back from the Fred Winter,” said Jones.

“It makes sense and we have looked at lots of different angles. I did throw in the comment that Cheltenham isn’t the be all and end all, and then the next sentence we kind of agreed we have got to work back from Cheltenham.

“It was so special for me there on Saturday, I’ve been going to Cheltenham since I was a small boy, it is my local track from home and where my racing dream originates from.”

He went on: “Unless he takes a massive step forward, which he could do and he’s only had the two runs, then realistically we will let Burdett Road go and win the Triumph and on all known form we shouldn’t be beating that. There’s nothing we can do about that.

“They gave us 127 and I thought the winner would get 140 and we would get 128, so I wasn’t a million miles off and from having a scroll through the last few years that looks a nice rating for the Fred Winter.

“He’s got course form, touch wood he jumps impeccably and to have runners at Cheltenham, let alone the Cheltenham Festival, is a huge dream of mine. He’s exciting and the good day was topped off by Star Mind winning at Wolverhampton that evening.”

Jones is still to finalise An Bradan Feasa’s route to the Festival but is not short of options and is tinkering with a two-race plan that includes a possible trip north of the border before arriving at Cheltenham in the spring.

He added: “As easy as it is to get excited about races in between, I have to be mindful he is still only a baby and that was only his second ever run. He did have the Flat run, but that was a non-event and Joseph ran him over hurdles only 13 days after his Flat debut.

“So I have to be careful just to mind him and I don’t know where, but I think two runs between now and Cheltenham will be sensible and then we can go to Cheltenham fresh and well.

“We’ve got options and I haven’t looked in-depth. There is a Listed race at Aintree in a couple of weeks or he could just go and try and win a midweek juvenile hurdle with a penalty. My vet and Christopher have both mentioned the Musselburgh Triumph Hurdle Trial as well, so that could be a nice option and it might suit him round there.

“We’ve got a lot of exciting options, but maybe a midweek juvenile, Musselburgh, then the Fred Winter would be the potential route.”

Although predominantly associated with training runners on the Flat, Jones has a strong National Hunt grounding having ridden out for Nicky Henderson during his university days as well as serving as pupil assistant to Kim Bailey and Paul Nicholls before attentions turned to Newmarket and the faster thoroughbreds.

Having thrived with the Middleton’s Our Scholar over obstacles throughout the summer months, the young handler is now relishing the prospect of having a top operator to run over obstacles during the winter.

“He’s only been with me around six weeks and we took him for a racecourse gallop two weeks before Cheltenham. We actually took him with a nice horse called Pleasant Man who ran a week later and he finished fourth in the November Handicap.

“For my first runner at Cheltenham it was some thrill to have him still in front turning in. He jumped impeccably, travelled well and Tom (Bellamy) gave him a good ride. He was jumping himself to the front and he’s got a lovely, gorgeous big stride and Tom did the right thing by letting him use himself.

“I was getting very excited between the second last and the last but we were beaten by a good one and Christopher and Mary-Ann were over the moon. He looks a fun horse not only for this year, but you would hope he would be around for a good few years.”

New diversity data and hiring statistics further highlight the “grass ceiling” facing black footballers, the co-founder of the Black Footballers Partnership has said.

BFP data published earlier this year found black players make up 43 per cent of those active in the Premier League.

However, statistics released by the Football Association on Wednesday show that only 7.4 per cent of people in senior leadership roles at the 53 clubs signed up to its Football Leadership Diversity Code are black, Asian or mixed heritage.

The figure was only slightly higher in team operations (8.9 per cent) and only 10.5 per cent among senior coaches. The clubs also failed to hit any of the code’s eight diversity hiring targets in the 2022-23 season, with the FA accepting the hiring rates are too low to drive the necessary rapid change in representation.

The FA is consulting on a new rule to force clubs to report biannually on their workforce, and BFP co-founder Delroy Corinaldi feels if the game cannot get this right, there could be a future role for the independent regulator in ensuring compliance.

“Black players have been told time and again by the FA that you need to give the code time to work,” Corinaldi told the PA news agency.

“How much time do they want? If the FA can’t deliver, it needs to hold its hand up.

“Black players are nearly 50 per cent of your (playing) workforce. The signal you’re sending to those people is that once you get to your 30s, it’s punditry or leave the game, because there is a real ‘grass ceiling’ the FA is doing little to remove.

“How disheartening and soul-destroying is that?

“This government has said they’re not having diversity as part of its football governance regime. But maybe we need to look at that again. An industry where nearly half the key staff are blocked from promotion is not a functioning one.

“We need to get all the authorities in and we need to get serious about this problem, otherwise it will continue for generation after generation.”

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham admitted in the foreword to this year’s FLDC report that the game was making “slower progress” towards diversifying at the executive, operations and coaching level than had been hoped.

He believes mandating clubs to report workforce data represents a “critical change for football which futureproofs our approach for years to come”.

“There is no silver bullet to solving these challenges and we know that this alone will not drive all of the change we want to see.

“But publishing who we are, measuring that regularly and setting targets that stretch clubs to do better is a big step forward. It will be for clubs to set their own targets based on local factors, but it will help provide a clear statement that football is tackling diversity head-on.”

Rob Page believes Wales have a “great opportunity” to reach Euro 2024 after being handed two possible home ties in the qualification play-offs.

Wales will welcome Finland to the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, March 21 following Thursday’s draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

Victory in that single-leg semi-final would see the Dragons take on either Poland or Estonia at the same venue five days later, with a spot at next summer’s tournament in Germany up for grabs.

Manager Page was relieved to avoid a rematch with Ukraine, who his side beat in a play-off to qualify for last year’s World Cup, and insists Wales fear no-one in Cardiff.

“We tried to forecast the draw beforehand and we weren’t too far away,” said Page, whose team could also have been paired with Iceland at the last-four stage.

“What’s important to us is that home draw in the final – we’ve got to get the job done (against Finland) first and foremost, of course we have.

“We were probably wanting to avoid Ukraine as well so I think it’s gone to plan for us.

“I don’t think any team in that group (Ukraine, Finland and Iceland) would have been wanting to play us. I was more nervous for the draw for the home tie for the final.

“The form we’re in at the minute and with the ‘Red Wall’ at home, we’ll take anyone on in Cardiff.

“It’s a great opportunity for us: we’re two wins at home away from another qualification to a major tournament. We’re hoping now for two big efforts.”

Wales enter the play-offs unbeaten in six matches, a run which includes a 2-1 victory over Croatia and a 1-1 draw with Turkey – the two teams who finished above them in Group D.

Finland sit 62nd in the FIFA rankings and are aiming to qualify for the European Championship finals for only the second time following their debut at Euro 2020.

They were third in Northern Ireland’s qualifying group – four points behind both Denmark and Slovenia – after winning six of their 10 fixtures.

“Of course they’re a threat, we’ve got to respect that,” Page said of Finland.

“They’re a good team, they’re here for a reason.

“But if we meet the standards we set against Croatia and Turkey, I’m confident the result will take care of itself.”

Influential midfielder Aaron Ramsey missed the final three matches of qualifying due to a knee injury sustained in September.

Page has already been in contact with the former Arsenal and Juventus player, who rejoined boyhood club Cardiff in the summer, and expects him to “do everything in his power” to be ready for the play-offs.

“To have someone of Aaron’s quality to join the squad again is going to be a definite bonus for us, absolutely,” said Page.

“There’s a lot of time from now until March to get himself in the right place and he’s done a bit of work with us on camp last week.

“We’ve just had a couple of (text) messages together and he said about the draw, straight away he’s on it and he’s looking forward to it.

“He will do everything in his power now to make sure he’s part of that squad in March.”

Wales are seeking to secure a third successive appearance at the European Championship finals.

They are also attempting to reach a fourth major tournament out of the last five after last year ending their 64-year wait to play at the World Cup.

Wales came through the play-offs to book a spot at Qatar 2022, defeating Austria and Ukraine in Cardiff, and Page feels that experience could prove invaluable.

“That will be really important for us,” he said.

“A large portion of the group had the experience, so we’ve already exposed them to those types of games and environments. It won’t be alien to them.”