Delaney Steps up to UEFA Podium

The Aviva Stadium turned red last night as Team UEFA came to town for the draw of the European U17 Championships.

Ireland will host sixteen teams, including the best of young talent from across the continent between May 3rd and 19th and with John O’Shea in charge of the balls last night he drew the Republic of Ireland to play Belgium, Greece and the Czech Republic.

If we make it through that we will play a Quarter Final against either the winner or runner up from Group B containing France, England and reigning Champions the Netherlands. Now there’s a group of death.

The matches will be played at Tallaght Stadium, the UCD Bowl, the Carlisle Grounds in Bray, the RSC in Waterford, the City Calling Stadium in Longford and Tolka Park in Dublin.

We know from the past week that political leaders were falling over themselves not to attend last night which is a shame given the international nature of the audience that had gathered. Fianna Fáil TD and Committee Member Kevin O’Keeffe was the only member of the Committee that we saw there.

The reason was to avoid being seen in conversation, one assumes, with John Delaney and FAI President Donal Conway both of whom took to the podium last night, introduced by Marie Crowe and said their piece as hosts.

Delaney was wearing his metaphorical UEFA hat and his actual blazer as Chair of the UEFA, Youth and Amateur Football Committee, a powerful role and one which plays well for Ireland as the hosting of this tournament suggests.

He made only passing reference to more domestic issues but was greeted warmly by the football ‘family’ from across Ireland that were there to welcome our visitors.

There will be tougher audiences ahead in the coming days.

The nature of Delaney’s appearance before the Oireachtas Committee took another couple of twists yesterday with four of those who he will face expressing a personal lack of confidence in his leadership.

If this was a jury then that would be an immediate mistrial and of course, it is not that, but what it is, or what power beyond shaping public opinion it might have remains somewhat more nebulous.

The FAI Team will be well prepared for next week and it promises to be as dramatic as any of the action we might see tonight in the SSE Airtricity League, or next month in the Euros.

Certainly in his demeanour last night Delaney gave no indication that this would be one of his last public appearances as a leading player in Irish and European football.

Ticket prices for the games start at €5 for adults and Under-16s go free. It should certainly be worth the price of admission to possibly see the next Zidane or M’Bappe.