Ireland’s Euro play-off with Slovakia set for early October

IRELAND’S Euro 2020 play-off with Slovakia is set to take place in the first week of October, while the League of Ireland’s four European contenders face one off ties in mid-August in plans that are expected to be ratified by UEFA’s Executive Committee tomorrow.

European football’s most powerful committee will meet in the morning to discuss the club and international calendar for 2020 and their ruminations will be of particular interest on these shores.

It should lay out the schedule for Stephen Kenny’s opening months in charge and provide clarity to League of Ireland clubs who feared their European campaigns would be kiboshed by the Covid-19 crisis.

All plans are subject to committee agreement and the health climate remaining stable, but the main scenario on the table will see the Euro 2020 play-offs function as the first game in international tripleheaders in October (semi-finals) and November (final).

Enlarged

With the enlarged windows for matches stretching from Wednesday to Wednesday – as opposed to Thursday to Tuesday – it means that Wednesday, October 7 is now emerging as a likely date for the showdown with Slovakia in Bratislava.

That would be Kenny’s third game in charge following the September double-header away to Bulgaria and at home to Finland.

The Bratislava game would be in the same window as a home game with Wales and a trip to take on the Finns.

If Ireland can get past Slovakia, they would travel to face the winner of the Bosnia and Northern Ireland encounter to kick off the November gathering. Under the plans, Wednesday, November 11 would be a likely final date.

Meanwhile, the League of Ireland’s four European representatives should have a clearer picture tomorrow although first three qualifying rounds in the Champions League and Europa League are set to be one-legged affairs with the draw determining who gets home advantage.

Those ties are scheduled to take place in the week commencing August 17, with the draws pencilled in for August 9 and August 10.

Dundalk enter the Champions League, with Shamrock Rovers, Derry City and Bohemians in the Europa League draw.

Vinny Perth’s Dundalk side will be seeded in their draw, and also have a back-door route into the Europa League qualifiers if they lose out.

Their preparations for the games are caught up in the confusion around the League of Ireland’s return with the four-team tournament set to be scrapped in an attempt to get the league going from the start of August.