FAI in talks with UEFA about staging extra games at Euro 2028

The FAI are in talks with UEFA about staging two extra games in the Euro 2028 finals with Northern Ireland no longer a co-host.

Any additional fixtures would be played in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium as UEFA’s insistence on a nine-stadium plan has KO’d Páirc Uí Chaoimh as a potential second Irish venue.

FAI CEO David Courell confirmed the FAI has asked UEFA about taking on some of the allotted games to Northern Ireland following the collapse of the Casement Park rebuild.

"We’ve expressed an interest to host a further two games but I think that is probably a stretch. We may not have the capacity to accommodate, schedule-wise, in the eyes of UEFA," he said.

"We’re already hosting four group games, one last-16 and one quarter-final."

The FAI "made representations" to UEFA, with support from the Irish government, for Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh to be considered as an alternative to Casement Park, but to no avail.

"The FAI were very supportive of a tenth venue in the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Government too. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a decision for us.

"UEFA have taken the decision that they’re going to deliver the Euros with a nine-venue solution. The Euro 2028 games due to be hosted in Northern Ireland are due to be distributed across the existing venues. Obviously, the Republic of Ireland is fighting to get as many as we possibly can."

It leaves England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland as the co-hosts, with UEFA expected to retain two spots in reserve should any of the quartet miss out on the regular route to the finals.

"We will have the benefit of a highly increased likelihood of qualifying if we don’t go through on merit," said Courell.

In a wide-ranging media briefing at Aviva Stadium, Courell believes there has been progress for the men’s senior team under Heimir Hallgrímsson and "a brilliant crop of players."

"This was not an overnight project. Heimir is proven at developing young teams, moving them up the rankings and evolving their style of play. I think we’re starting to see signs of that. Whilst maybe not the most convincing wins against Finland, they were wins we wouldn’t have secured in years gone by.

"He’s well-positioned to take us into the playoff against Bulgaria and then all eyes are on the World Cup draw on December 13."

Of talk on a new contract for Eileen Gleeson, Courell hailed ‘a fantastic job’ by the Irish women’s manager currently preparing for the Euro play-off against Wales.

"We were drawn into a hugely competitive group with England, France, Sweden, three of the top six teams in the world.

"We emerged from that group with a play-off which was a positive outcome from the campaign.

"Our focus now in on the next two games. I think Eileen has done a fantastic job and at the end of this campaign we will sit down with her and decide what is next. We are on the precipice of qualifying for back-to-back tournaments.

The players said this week that they don’t want to be a flash in the pan, they don’t want to be a team that qualifies one and done.

"We’re at the top table of women’s football now and we want to stay there," he stressed.

With a delay on licenses for the 2025 League of Ireland season, Courell is unsure if Drogheda’s United Park and Shelbourne’s Tolka Park would be passed fit to stage UEFA games next summer.

"I don’t know the answer. It’s a fair question. The reality is that the (stadium) criteria for first round is lesser than if you progress."

It’s conceivable that Shamrock Rovers, St Pat’s, Shelbourne, and Drogheda could all be required by UEFA to play games in Tallaght Stadium, a situation which would highlight the dearth of facilities.

Ahead of next week’s meeting of the General Assembly, Courell said he was "hopeful" of approval of the aligned football calendar proposed by the FAI Executive and supported by the Board of Directors.

"We are the only one in UEFA of 55 federations that does not have an aligned calendar, I believe this is a positive change," he said.

Courell revealed Irish football has benefited from recent investment in excess of €110m and acknowledged the Government’s support in that regard.

This sum is a big chunk of the FAI’s ambitious €893m 15-year facilities plan, of which the FAI are committed to contributing 20 per cent, around €180m.

"Football is starting to come to the table. Is the association in a position to make a sizeable contribution to the pot? Not at this moment in time," he said.

Courell again highlighted the "bravery" of Irish women players for coming forward this summer with abuse claims against former FAI coaches.

"It has been a difficult few months for the game but we are guided by trying to do what’s right and hopefully that is recognised by the women in question."

He said the on-going gardai investigation ‘limited’ what he could say on the matter.

*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.