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Ryan Giggs resigns as Wales’ head coach

London, Jun 20 (EFE).- Former Manchester United great Ryan Giggs said Monday he is resigning as the head coach of Wales’ national soccer team, effective immediately.

That announcement comes 19 months after he had stepped away from that role following his arrest for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Kate Greville, and her sister Emma at his home in Worsley, England, on Nov. 1, 2020.

At the time of his arrest, the erstwhile Man United winger and Welsh international was also accused of using coercive and controlling behavior between December 2017 and November 2020 against Kate Greville.

The 48-year-old Giggs, who has denied all of the charges, is scheduled to stand trial starting on Aug. 8.

Rob Page took over the helm of the Welsh squad in Giggs’ absence and led that side to its first World Cup berth since 1958. Wales has been drawn into Group B – along with England, Iran and the United States – at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which gets under way on Nov. 21.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to manage my country, but it is only right that the Wales (soccer association), the coaching staff and the players prepare for the tournament with certainty, clarification and without speculation around the position of their head coach,” Giggs, regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, said in a statement.

“As has been well publicized, I have pleaded not guilty to the criminal accusations being heard at Manchester Crown Court. Whilst I am confident in our judicial process, I had hoped that the case would have been heard earlier to enable me to resume my managerial responsibilities,” he added.

“Through nobody’s fault the case has been delayed. I do not want the country’s preparations for the World Cup to be affected, destabilized or jeopardized in any way by the continued interest around this case.” EFE

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