Soccer

Island of Ireland could see up to a quarter of scheduled Euro 2028 fixtures

Decisions to be made around Windsor and Casement Parks but two Dublin venues likely

Croke Park could be set to host games at Euro 2028. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

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Gavin Cummiskey
Mon Mar 7 2022 - 06:00

Croke Park remains on course to host matches at the 2028 European Championships with the island of Ireland potentially securing three venues in an expanded 32-team tournament.

Following the removal of Turkey and Russia from the bidding process, the Daily Mail are reporting a clear run for the UK-Irish bid, naming five guaranteed stadiums, including the final at Wembley, with GAA headquarters among 13 possible venues.

If the Euros is expanded from 24 to 32 teams at least 12 stadiums will be needed across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The Aviva is a certainty, with Croke Park a natural addition alongside a Belfast venue, which will require the redevelopment of Windsor Park or Casement Park, that could see a quarter of the games played on the island.

The minimum capacity for the Euros is 30,000 so the Irish Football Association has to either expand Windsor Park from 18,500 to 25,000, and hope that will be accepted by Uefa, or approach the GAA to the use Casement. If either plan proves unsuccessful, Northern Ireland can only be used as a training base.

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The guaranteed stadia, according to the Mail, are Wembley, the Aviva, Hampden Park in Glasgow, the Principality in Cardiff and Tottenham Hotspur’s new 68,850 capacity ground in north London. The British capital could end up with four venues if the Emirates and London stadium, the centrepiece for the 2012 Olympics where West Ham United currently play home games, are included in the final bid document on March 23rd.

Other stadiums mentioned in the initial plans are Old Trafford and the Etihad in Manchester, Anfield and Bramley-Moore Dock stadium on Merseyside, Ellan Road, St James Park and Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Leicester’s King Power stadium and Villa Park are also under consideration.

“We’re currently looking at a cost benefit analysis and assessment on Euro 2028,” said Jack Chambers, the Minister of State for Sport over the weekend. “We were positively disposed to that, I think there’s good north-south east-west benefits, but we have to get that rounded picture and perspective on what the investment might be and what the cost might be. And then the rounded benefits as well.

“So we have to make a decision before March 23rd but I think it has a lot of potential and we’ll be able to give an informed view probably in the days before March 23rd.”

The Government spent about €155,000 on scoping out a potential joint bid for the 2030 World Cup before that proposal was dropped by the five football associations in favour of pursuing Euro 2028. This feasibility work can be repurposed.

Ukraine

With Uefa ending the Russian bid, following the invasion of Ukraine, and Turkey reportedly out of contention, a more pressing issue for the FAI is the two Nations League fixtures against Ukraine in June. The away tie, initially fixed for Lviv, will take place at a neutral venue but the availability of Ukrainian players is a real concern as the majority of Oleksandr Petrakov’s squad are home based at Dinamo Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Due to martial law, all sport in Ukraine is currently suspended and the Ukrainian football federation has asked Fifa to postpone their World Cup qualifier against Scotland at Hampden Park on March 24th. The winner is due to face Wales or Austria in the last chance to reach next winter’s tournament in Qatar.

Fifa has already expelled Russia from the qualification process.

“I think Russian athletes should not be performing or participating or competing in international events whilst they invade and attack the Ukrainian people,” said Chambers. “I think sport is a powerful tool to isolate Russia, and indeed Belarus too who are, as we know, attached to this conflict.

“And I think having that joint collective political statement from a number of European countries and also countries from across the globe, I think applies that political pressure on sporting organisations to act up, and many have but we still have sporting organisation that haven’t gone the full way in excluding Russia from major events or indeed participation.

“I think we need to see them all act in unison and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, and also to isolate Russia.”

Russian tennis players, including world number one Daniil Medvedev, are currently competing on the ATP tour under a neutral flag.