The removal of Casement Park as a host venue for the joint UK/Republic of Ireland plan to co-host Euro 2028 due to funding issues will deny Northern Ireland a potential back door route to qualification, the FAI’s most senior official has confirmed.
And while talks are ongoing between the five FAs in the original joint bid and UEFA over finding some role for the IFA in the Euros, Northern Ireland will be excluded when qualification slots are allocated to UEFA to teams who fail to qualify through the traditional route, a move which was expected but will still be greeted with disappointment by the IFA and Northern Ireland supporters. Dublin’s Aviva Stadium is likely to take up one of the games which were due to be hosted in Belfast but will now be allocated across the existing nine venues.
UEFA have yet to formally outline the procedure for qualification for the Euros in 2028 but it’s envisaged that all of the co-hosts – England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic – will compete in the group stage of qualification with at least two spots left in reserve for nations who do not qualify on football merit – but not Northern Ireland.
“To be clear, Northern Ireland won’t qualify for an automatic slot if they are not a host nation. Unfortunately the criteria is that you need to host matches,” FAI CEO David Courell said at a media briefing in Dublin on Tuesday.
“We’re keen to see them as a partner for this tournament. They could host a draw, broadcast or training centre, or something. All of these variables are up for discussion. The games due to be hosted in Northern Ireland are due to be distributed across the existing venues within the Euro 2028 tournament plan.
“We are obviously disappointed that Northern Ireland will not feature as a host nation. I have mentioned before that we look forward to continuing to involve them in the tournament and we are working with UEFA and the other host nations to see how that looks. We are having conversations with UEFA but the working assumption is all of us will go through qualification and if we are unsuccessful in qualifying on merit, then there will be automatic slots in reserve but that has yet to be ratified by UEFA.”
It has been suggested that other venues on the island of Ireland, such as Croke Park or Páirc uí Chaoimh in Cork, could take up the slack left by Belfast dropping off the list as a host city but Courell said that’s a non-runner, though due to logistical reasons the Aviva may only be able to take on one extra game, in addition to the six matches (four in the group phase and two in the knockout rounds) allocated to Dublin.
“Obviously, the Republic of Ireland is fighting to get as many as we possibly can. There are limitations on what we can host in the Aviva, not because it’s not an amazing facility, but we’re already hosting four group games, one last-16 and one quarter-final. The schedule needs to permit for adequate rest days for the pitch through the intervening period, plus the machinations of each group.
“We’ve expressed an interest to host a further two games but I think that is probably a stretch,” Courell added.
“We may not have the capacity to accommodate, schedule wise, in the eyes of UEFA. UEFA made their position clear, they are looking at a nine-venue solution. I’d just make the point that the FAI were very supportive of a tenth venue being stood up in the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Government have been hugely supportive, not only to us, but to attract as much of this tournament as possible to these shores. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a decision for us. We made those representations but UEFA have decided on a nine venue solution.”