Chris Coleman says that he will not downplay the importance of the match against Belgium

Wales manager Chris Coleman says that he will not downplay the importance of the upcoming match against Belgium to his players as everyone is aware of the status.

Wales take on Belgium in the quarter-finals of the Euro 2016 knowing that they can match the achievements of a great footballing team 60 years ago in the 1958 World Cup. Wales have not reached the semi-final of a major international tournament for almost 6 decades. The team has already been praised for managing to exceed expectations already. Wales were not expected to even reach the Euro 2016 after having failed to qualify for numerous major international tournaments in recent decades.

However, playing in the quarter-finals with a real hope of featuring in the semifinals is nothing short of a fairytale. Coleman was close to receiving the sack in 2011 when the team was ranked 117th in the world. He says that the last four years have been magical. He says that he will not downplay the expectation.

Instead, he will try to savour the moment. Wales go into the game with a lot of confidence of overthrowing Belgium, who are expected to come with a makeshift defence due to a plethora of injury problems. The absence of players like Jan Vertonghen, Vincent Kompany, and Thomas Vermaelen is too hard even for a talented squad like Belgium to handle.

"I'm not going to play the occasion down, I'm going to enjoy it and savour it. Since that 1958 quarter-final, we have to put this down as the biggest game our country's ever been involved in. We have done well to get this far. But when you are in the quarter-final of the tournament knowing if we can get it right there are great possibilities, it is different. It is a fantastic pressure to have,” said the Wales manager.