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Craig Bellamy OUT: Cardiff City youth role is over after bullying inquiry

  /  autty

Craig Bellamy will lose his position as Cardiff academy coach after an investigation into bullying claims against him.

The former Wales captain has also agreed to undertake an education course following allegations of bullying, intimidation and xenophobia by an academy player, as first revealed by Sportsmail.

Several former players then came forward to claim that they had also been targeted by Bellamy, who immediately took a period of leave from his role as Under 18s head coach. But it is understood the 39-year-old will not return to that position and will also take an education in communication course.

He could yet face FA charges should the governing body decide to take a closer look at the case once the club return their findings. The news that Bellamy will no longer be coaching at the academy has been welcomed by some of the families involved.

Dave Madden, whose son Alfie quit Cardiff because of Bellamy in 2017, told Sportsmail: 'We are relieved. We had nothing to gain by coming forward other than highlighting the way we believed Bellamy was treating young players.

'Our motivation was to make sure it did not happen again and that he did not work with academy-age players.

'I saw first-hand what Alfie went through and it was heartbreaking as a parent. He would single Alfie out in front of team-mates and his language was abusive.

'It changed Alfie as a person and we took the decision to get him out of the club when we realised how low he had become.

'In January, I was contacted by the fathers of other boys with exactly the same experience as us.

'It was a pattern of behaviour which isolated the boys and stripped away their confidence and enjoyment of football.

'That should not be allowed to happen under the care of a senior academy coach. We only hope Bellamy has now realised what effect he was having on them.'

Rob Cronick, the club's head of safeguarding, was given the task of leading the investigation in January.

However, Mr Madden and the families of some other ex-players did not want to speak to Cronick directly because he also holds a position as an academy coach.

They have instead submitted statements via a law firm with the backing of the Professional Footballers' Association.

Cronick, a former police chief, told Sportsmail in January that his investigation would be 'professional, effective and done with integrity'.

However, while Cronick has gathered evidence, it is understood that the club's lawyers, Capital Law, are overseeing the probe.

At the time, Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman said: 'He (Mr Madden) can be assured that I more than anyone else want this investigation done properly and it will be.'

Bellamy, who has not appeared on television in his occasional punditry role since the allegations were brought to light, now faces an uncertain future. Bellamy denies the allegations.

Related: Cardiff City