As expected, Ireland lost its status as a European Championship co-host, with the three group-stage games scheduled for Dublin moved to St Petersburg and the round-of-16 tie relocated to Wembley.
he group fixtures were effectively a round-robin series featuring Poland, Sweden and Slovakia, while the knockout match was potentially a meeting of England v Germany.
But with the government unable to provide guarantees around attendances, the likelihood is that the Irish public would have been watching these games on TV anyway, with no travelling fans around to provide a sense of atmosphere or a boost to the economy.
The news did prompt a flurry of statements from the FAI, UEFA and various politicians expressing regret at the decision, but this was more out of official courtesy than responding to public outcry.
In truth, it was all about tying up loose ends as most people saw this coming.
What did UEFA want?
The only way the games could have gone ahead is if the FAI and the Irish government had committed to allowing the Aviva to be filled to 25pc capacity. With no firm plan on the table here for opening stadiums again, the local organisers just weren’t in a position to make the promise UEFA wanted.
What about the other 11 hosts?
Bilbao were also unable to provide the same guarantee, so their games have been moved to Seville, which is almost 900km away and operating off different rules, even though it remains in the same jurisdiction. Munich was on the ropes but came through in the end, although clearly a surge in cases anywhere would pose problems for UEFA.
Is this a financial hit for the FAI?
Not really. There would have been some commitments along the way in the bidding process but their partners were Dublin City Council, the Government and the Aviva and once they won the vote, it was UEFA that were funding staff on the ground and who managed the project. FAI would have diverted staff into this area too so they’ve wasted a lot of time. There was a bonus in line for successful hosting of games but they could get that in another way.
Why?
UEFA have suggested that compensation could be offered in the form of a European club final post-2023. While the Aviva would not meet the accepted criteria for a Champions League decider (60,000+) a return for the Europa League final or a European Super Cup game could be lucrative. The Women’s Champions League is another option, although that competition is still growing in prestige and may not bring the same level of travelling fans.
Who has lost out here then?
It’s a blow for Dublin City Council, who had big plans in place, and the original Euros idea would have brought a lot of tourists into the country with a knock-on effect for the economy. Estimates on this can be unreliable but Polish and Swedish fans would have travelled in large numbers and an England v Germany tie would have been spicy for a variety of reasons.
But it was the pandemic rather than yesterday’s news that brought the curtain down on that possibility.
What’s the FAI attitude?
Senior figures had long since accepted this was inevitable, although government were reluctant to close the door completely on the idea. But once Ireland weren’t going to play in the competition, there was no real sense of urgency about saving the day. There are bigger battles to fight.
Still, it’s a pain for the UEFA site team led by Declan Conroy, a prominent figure in the FAI during the John Delaney era. The pair had worked together on the bid. Delaney’s successor, Jonathan Hill, listed a range of agencies that were involved in the process, with An Garda Síochána, the National Transport Authority, the Dublin Airport Authority, Irish Rail, Dublin Bus, the IRFU, the Office of Public Works, Dublin Port, Transdev, the Irish Hotels Federation, Fáilte Ireland and St Patrick’s Festival getting a mention.
What’s the story for Irish-based ticket holders?
They will get a full refund at face value but if they wanted to attend the corresponding fixtures in St Petersburg and London they could gain access on a first-come, first-served basis when ticket sales for those games open.
What happens now?
The FAI press release included a quote from President Gerry McAnaney stating that plans for a World Cup 2030 bid remain in place. That will gather steam from next year onwards if England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic opt to go through with a proposed bid.
If successful, it’s likely to be a similar tale in the sense that Ireland would still have to qualify rather than being guaranteed a spot. Best to cross that bridge if we ever get to it.
