Arsenal in isolation after Arteta infected
League games are halted but play-off situation is unclear
FOLLOWING the nod from Washington, the FAI jumped and cancelled all football in their jurisdiction until Sunday, March 29. In contrast, UEFA chiefs kicked for touch to Tuesday when they will decide if the Republic of Ireland’s play-off against Slovakia on March 26 in Bratislava, among other events, goes ahead.
The stalling of the Nyon blazers reflects their growing commercial concerns towards the end game of their mega-rich Champions League, Europa League and specifically the Euro 2020 finals.
For that €850m profit-maker to go ahead, the eight play-offs must be first completed, which seems highly improbable now, even behind closed doors.
As for the finals happening in 12 cities across Europe in June, the odds are longer than Delaney’s donkey winning the Gold Cup today.
Rome, the venue for the opener on June 12 and three other games, is currently a ghost city. The Eternal City needs hope eternal at this stage.
Jon Walters, who played in two Euro finals for Ireland, accurately summed up the current state of play. ‘Not a chance Euro 2020 is going ahead in 12 different countries if the infection rate continues.’ At least, UEFA recognised the ‘ongoing developments’ and ‘changing analysis’ by the World Health Organisation in relation to the spread of Covid-19. By Tuesday next, the situation will have escalated.
If Slovakia was a slow-burner in terms of the virus, its response has been admirably vigilant and rapid, as gauged by Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini yesterday.
From this morning, ‘No foreign citizens will be allowed to enter Slovakia. At the border crossings with Poland, only Polish citizens will be allowed to enter the country.’
The government also said it was shutting down all international airports and schools.
Pellegrini reported six new cases yesterday in Bratislava, where Mick McCarthy and his players, staff, a smattering of officials and maybe the press, are due the week after next.
At government prompting, the Slovak FA contacted UEFA about a play-off postponement. Their statement read: ‘The SFZ respects all measures already taken by state authorities and institutions in relation to the spread of Covid-19.
‘As the situation surrounding the spread of coronavirus and the number of infections with this virus is increasing in Slovakia and also in neighbouring European countries, the SFZ has decided to send a letter to UEFA.
‘The SFZ asks for the Euro 2020 Slovakia v Ireland qualifying match, which is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2020 at the National Football Stadium, to take place in a substitute period.’
A couple of hours later, the Bosnia-Herzegovina Football Federation made the same request to UEFA regarding their play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland in Zenica, also on March 26.
Rather than acknowledging the health scares of their constituents and scrapping all play-offs, UEFA stalled for another five days.
But the deferral of the Euro 2020 finals until the summer of 2021 seems inevitable.
L’Equipe, the French sports daily with deep throat contacts in UEFA, tweeted yesterday this was the most likely outcome.
While the leading leagues across Europe, Serie A and La Liga among them, are unlikely to finish either on time, or at all. With the virus confirmed at Leicester City, the Premier League is also running out of road.
On home turf, the FAI heeded the Washington warnings and acted swiftly.
The first casualty was today’s scheduled announcement of McCarthy’s 23-man squad for the trip to Slovakia, which was cancelled by mid-afternoon.
Tellingly, the FAI said an update would be made ‘in due course.’ In other words, they don’t know when.
Ireland may not play again until the summer, or beyond that. As for where that leaves the McCarthyStephen Kenny managerial handover, is anyone’s guess.
The Euro 2020 National Football Exhibition in Galway next week was also scrapped and before the Angeles chimes, as the FAI confirmed ‘all football activity’ had been postponed until March 29.
That rules out three rounds of the League of Ireland, plus three matches re-fixed following earlier weather cancellations.
The shutdown will impact financially on clubs reliant on gates to pay the wages.
St Patrick’s Athletic will feel the pinch more than most as they miss out on three home games, against Derry City (March 16), Finn Harps (March 20) and Shamrock Rovers (March 27). But it’s a small price to pay in the collective fight against the virus.
Footballers aren’t immune as is evident in Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League. A former League of Ireland player has been infected and current players will almost certainly follow.
‘We are going by guidelines, we are trying everything possible to keep it away from us,’ said Shamrock Rovers head coach Stephen Bradley. The lads who work here, even things like the dressing room, the gym, every time the players leave it it’s disinfected.
‘I clean my hands, I disinfect, cough with the protocols but things I can’t control I just get on with.’
As for the financial squeeze, the Rovers annual budget is in excess of €2m. As a full-time club, they need around €40,000 a week to pay their bills. Between football and administration, they have around 35 full-time staff, the biggest in the League.
‘They will be hit hard, as will others, and Bradley recognises the need for outside emergency support.
‘The governing bodies need to keep these clubs afloat, in terms of players’ wages, staff wages, and when the gate receipts come in again they can be reimbursed, that’s the only way we can look at it,’ he said.
‘By Tuesday next, the situation will have escalated’