The FA of Wales has rejected an approach from Hull City to speak to national team manager Chris Coleman.
Hull hope to fill their managerial vacancy in the next few days and Coleman, who guided Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 last month, has been strongly linked with the position.
“The Football Association of Wales can confirm that it has received an official approach from Hull City FC for the services of manager Chris Coleman,” said a statement on the official FAW website.
“Following discussions amongst leading figures within the association the approach has been rejected.”
Former Fulham and Coventry City boss Coleman had a tough time after succeeding the late Gary Speed as Wales manager in January 2012.
Wales were never in the hunt for 2014 World Cup qualification after suffering an embarrassing 6-1 defeat in Serbia.
But Coleman stayed on and guided Wales to their first major tournament for 58 years when qualifying for the 2016 European Championship.
Coleman signed a new two-year contract in May ahead of the European Championships and then oversaw Wales’s best ever performance at a major tournament.
The 46-year-old’s stock is high after Wales’s achievement in France and FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford admitted after Euro 2016 that he “can’t make him (Coleman) do the job.”
“At the end of the day we do have a contract that’s been signed, but like anything, if somebody desperately says ‘Well I’m not going to do the job’, you’re going to have a tough time keeping him,” Ford told BBC in July.
“There are procedures and there are policies in place with regards to if that does happen, but let’s hope it doesn’t.”
And the FAW stressed yesterday that they are determined to keep Coleman, saying: “Everybody at the FAW are fully focused on the forthcoming World Cup qualifying campaign.”
Wales start their World Cup group matches against Moldova at home in Cardiff on September 5.
Zola link
Newly-promoted Hull have been looking for a successor to manager Steve Bruce following his sudden departure on July 22, with former Watford and West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola among those heavily linked with the job.
Reports in Italy this week said Zola, sacked by Qatari club Al-Arabi in June, had been the subject of an approach from the Tigers.
Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan is currently in caretaker charge, with the Tigers’ squad having headed to Austria yesterday for pre-season friendlies against Caykur Rizespor and Torino.
Hull start their Premier League campaign at home to champions Leicester City on August 13.