The clock is ticking on whether Ireland will be able to retain the staging of four games in this summer’s rescheduled Euro 2020 Finals.

There are seven days to go until UEFA’s extended deadline for confirmation on what plans are in place to allow spectators to attend games in each of the host cities.

On St Patrick’s Day last year, it was confirmed that the tournament was to be pushed back a year. Then on June 21st, it was confirmed that Dublin would still be on the roster of cities hosting games as had been originally planned.

We could hardly have imagined then we would be in the same position with regard to lockdown now as we were then but we are not alone.

In that sense, the seven days to April 7th may yet have a few more twists and turns.

Paris has just gone into a stricter lockdown with case numbers rising, as is the case in a number of other European countries.

What UEFA needs is an outline leading towards a best-case scenario of stadia accommodating 25 per cent of capacity. There was no indication in the announcement on easing of restrictions last night that this was even remotely possible until the latter part of the summer but is there space inside that, on either side, to keep the games at the Aviva stadium.

It seems highly unlikely that an enclosed gathering of more than 12,000 fans would be permitted, and even in that context, the mandatory quarantine that would apply to fans travelling from other countries would be another barrier.

And yet that is the same for countries across Europe that would be in a similar position. No Government is going to create specific exemptions for a short series of games that could lead to elevated levels of infection across the general population.

And with an uncertain timetable on vaccine roll-out, the ability to state with certainty whether things will be better, worse or the same as they are now is a matter of speculation.

The logistics of hosting such a major tournament are incredibly complex and as was seen in the Rugby World Cup with weather complications, unpalatable decisions often have to be made at very short notice.

Nobody wants to take the games away from Dublin but there will need to be a minimum statement of planning to enable a decision be pushed back as far as possible.

We have become adept at scenario planning and that is what is called for here too.

We cannot say with certainty how many if any fans will be allowed. And we will not until perhaps a matter of weeks away. An obvious alternative, and one already floated, is that additional games could be held in England.

Anfield or Old Trafford would be quicker to get to than a journey from Madrid to Barcelona, and neither is currently planned for use in the tournament.

But if the requirement is to have only a limited number of fans then could Windsor Park in Belfast not be on standby as a potential alternative with minimal disruption for the players and officials involved.

It would be a marker of the cooperation that will be needed for the proposed joint bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030 and it would keep the games on the island of Ireland.

In terms of protecting our reputation as a country ready, able, strong and flexible enough to host major events it would be a winning alternative on a number of levels, while giving us the best possible chance of still hosting in Dublin, should circumstances permit?

With seven days to go until the next breakpoint on a decision, it is something that should be considered.

 

Sport for Business Partners