Fixtures ‘clarity’ allows Kenny to plan for Slovakia
STEPHEN KENNY says he can ‘plan with more detail’ after UEFA yesterday revealed an eight-game autumn international schedule which includes the Republic of Ireland’s Euro play-off in Slovakia on Thursday, October 8.
‘It’s good to have clarity now for the forthcoming Nations League games and the Euro 2020 play-offs,’ said the newlyappointed Ireland manager.
The play-offs were postponed in March and June but UEFA’s Executive Committee confirmed they will go ahead in October, with the four finals to follow on Thursday, November 12. Should Kenny oversee success in Bratislava, Ireland would be away to either Northern Ireland or Bosnia-Herzegovina for a place in the finals.
The busy programme kicks off with Nations League games away to Bulgaria on September 3 and home to Finland on September 6, before three internationals apiece in October and November. The dates for the remaining four Nations League games have to be determined.
‘We can plan with more detail now, our main focus in October will be on that Slovakia game,’ said Kenny (right) yesterday.
UEFA also confirmed the 12 host cities for Euro 2020 remain in place for the deferred finals in 2021 in which four games will be played in Aviva Stadium, three of them group games, on June 14, June 18, June 23 and a last 16 tie on June 29.
‘We are delighted that Dublin’s willingness to remain as a host for the four games at Euro 2020 has been validated by UEFA’s ExCo. This is a huge event for Dublin and for Ireland,’ said Gary Owens, the interim FAI CEO.
On a hectic day for the football calendar, UEFA revealed this season’s Champions League will be completed in August, with an eight-team knockout tournament split between the home grounds of Benfica and Sporting Lisbon.
The quarter-finals will be played between August 12 and August 15, the semi-finals on August 18-19 and the final in Benfica’s Stadium of Light on August 23.
UEFA have yet to decide if the outstanding last 16 ties, one of which is Manchester City against Real Madrid, will be played in either Portugal, or as a home game for City.
Istanbul, the original venue for the 2020 final, will stage the 2021 final, followed by St Petersburg (2022), Munich (2023) andLondon (2024).
The Europa League will be played out in a cluster of German venues, Cologne, Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen, in a similar knock-out format between August 5 and August 21.
As expected, the qualifying rounds of the 2020-21 Champions League and Europa League will be played over one leg.
SSE Airtricity League champions Dundalk will be in action on either August 18 or 19, with Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians and Derry City on Europa League duty on August 27.
‘I’m delighted that we are able to resume almost all of our competitions. I am confident that we will not have to endure the fans’ absence for long and that they will be allowed into stadiums sooner rather than later,’ said UEFA president Alexsander Ceferin.
UEFA have tweaked the format for the finals of the European U21 Championships which will now involve eight teams in a straight knock-out event in Hungary and Slovenia on May 31-June 6.
When qualification finishes in November, the nine group winners, plus the five best runners-up, along with hosts Hungary and Slovenia, will contest a second phase.
Between March 24 and March 31, these 16 teams will be split into four groups of four, after which the winners and runnersup will advance to the finals. The final will be in Ljubljana, the hometown of Ceferin.
Irish U21 manager Jim Crawford, who has three qualifiers to oversee after taking over from Kenny, is upbeat his young boys in green can kick on towards their first finals.
‘It doesn’t change the focus. We’re looking to win the remaining group games and that remains the challenge. We’ll be very clear with the players that maximum points is the goal.
‘The fact we’ve only got three matches in qualifying whilst a lot of teams are squeezing in fixtures could also work in our favour but we need to remain concentrated on what we need to do.’ UEFA will today confirm details of the Euro qualification process for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar. The draw is scheduled to take place on November 29 and there are 13 slots reserved for European nations.