Match on Cabinet agenda

The Government is expected to discuss today the feasibility of the Republic of Ireland's European Championship game against Yugoslavia going ahead as scheduled at Lansdowne Road on June 5th.

In a separate development, UEFA yesterday confirmed that arrangements for the game are still in place but added that they reserve the right to reassess the situation at a meeting of their Executive Committee in Barcelona on May 26th.

Several ministers, among them the Minister for Sport, Dr Jim McDaid, are understood to be opposed to the Yugoslavs' visit at a time when the Kosovo crisis is still raging.

David Andrews, Minister for Foreign Affairs and a patron of the FAI, has indicated that he will not attend the game if it goes ahead, as a mark of protest.

Andrews was among the EU foreign ministers who voted last month, to discourage sporting contact with the Yugoslavs as long as the Balkans crisis remains unresolved.

A move to have a boycott imposed was defeated, however, after Italy and Greece had expressed reservations about the consequences of such a sanction.

Questioned on the point, Guido Tognoni, head of UEFA's National Teams Department, said that the EU's action amounted to nothing more than a recommendation.

"It was not a directive, merely a recommendation" he said. "We are a sporting not a political organisation but if a boycott was declared we would, of course, have to to take account of that situation. The problem in this instance, however, is that nobody is prepared to take responsibility.

"I have spoken with Bernard O'Byrne at the FAI and he informs me that the game in Dublin has the approval of the Irish Government. In that situation, I don't see why there should be any problems at that end."

Earlier, UEFA had announced a four point operational plan, based on the findings of the task force appointed to review Group Eight of the European Championship in the light of the Kosovo crisis.

It states: (1) The Yugoslav FA remains in the Euro 2000 championship; (2) In the current circumstances, it is not possible to play games in the territory of Yugoslavia; (3) The Yugoslav FA is allowed to play its match against Malta, scheduled for June 9th, outside the territory of Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav FA is requested to propose a venue to UEFA for approval, not later than 16.00 hours on Wednesday, May 12th; (4) The UEFA Executive Committee reserves the right to reassess developments in the Balkan region at its meeting in Barcelona on May 26th.

That latter point was received with some dismay by the FAI who fear the game could be postponed in the days approaching the kick off and that logistical problems would ensue.

"It's a relief that the game is still on but disappointing to know that the situation may change before the end of the month," said the FAI President, Pat Quigley. "We had hoped to have the matter sorted once and for all this week but now, we still can't certain what's going to happen."

As a result of yesterday's announcement confirming that Yugoslavia's home game against Malta will be played at a neutral venue pressure is now building within the FAI, to have Ireland's 1-0 defeat in Belgrade last November declared null and void.

If the Maltese arrangement, is not in itself particularly unwelcome, Irish officials believe that it would create a dangerous precedent for Yugoslavia's home fixtures against Croatia and Macedonia later in the year.

If these fixtures, potentially pivotal in establishing the group winners are also played at neutral venues, the FAI believe that it will have disadvantaged Mick McCarthy's team.

"In that situation, we would have to make representations to UEFA to have our game in Belgrade replayed in similar circumstances," said Quigley.

"There should be a level playing field for every team in the group. This is not a question of opportunism, merely a case of seeing that we are not unfairly treated in relation to other teams in the group."

Tognoni said that if such a request is received it will be considered on its merits. "I am not in a position to speculate on what the outcome would be or how the championship committee would view it," he said.

"But people must realise that we are having to deal with a war situation in the Balkans area and trying to plan accordingly. National federations have to be reasonable in helping us to deal with the problem and help us to complete the group fixtures on schedule.

"Croatia have been in contact with us, insisting that they want the games to be played in the original sequence. And since Ireland is the only EU country in the group, that also creates problems."