Hull City’s bid to make Chris Coleman their new manager has been blocked by the Football Association of Wales.
The club – without a manager since Steve Bruce quit two weeks ago – made an official approach to the FAW asking to speak with Coleman.
But the FAW issued a statement on Tuesday, saying they had refused permission for the Premier League club to open formal talks.
It means that if Coleman is keen to move back into club management with the Tigers, he would need to quit as Wales manager.
The FAW statement said: “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.
“Following discussions amongst leading figures within the association the approach has been rejected.
“Chris Coleman signed a new two year contract in May 2016 ahead of the UEFA European Championships in France and the FIFA World Cup in 2018.
“Everybody at the FAW are fully focused on the forthcoming World Cup qualifying campaign. The first match is against Moldova in Cardiff on September the 5th.”
Coleman only agreed a new two-year deal with the FAW in May and voiced his frustration at how long that re-negotiation had taken, admitting at one stage that the two sides were “miles apart”.
But his stock has since risen considerably following Wales’ stunning success at Euro 2016, where they stormed to the semi-finals.
It is understand Coleman was one of three names on a short-list to be the next Hull manager, with Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Martinez the others.
Martinez has been interviewed by the club, but former Watford and West Ham boss Zola had been favourite with the bookmakers.