All eyes on Dec. 2 Euro draw in Kiev

[caption id="attachment_68070" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Marco Tardelli and his boss Giovanni Trapattoni are likely to get a new contract."]

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Following the play-off win over Estonia Irish soccer supporters are now looking ahead to the draw for the 2012 European Championship finals which will be made in Kiev on Dec. 2. We are fourth seeds and definitely will not be paired with Denmark, France or the Czech Republic, who are in the same category. We could be paired with England and that would rule out a friendly early next year. England are due to meet Holland on Feb. 29, but if they are paired with Holland in the Euro finals then there will be speculation that Ireland could fill the February date But my information is that the friendly against England is likely to be played at the Aviva in August next year. England owe Ireland a game since 1995 when the friendly at Lansdowne Road was abandoned after English "supporters" rioted on the upper deck of the old West Stand. Every tournament has a tough group, the so-called "group of death." But last week the joke doing the rounds was that if Ireland is paired with Greece, Italy and Portugal would it be described as the "group of debt."

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There is only one international date before the end of the English Premier League season and that's Feb. 29. Further friendlies cannot be played until the English season finishes on May 13 and then the FAI has a short window to arrange games before the Irish squad leave for Poland and Ukraine. The lack of friendly fixtures means that manager Giovanni Trapattoni will have very few opportunities to look at fringe players before he submits his squad to UEFA on May 29. That's bad news for the likes of James McCarthy (Wigan) and Everton's Seamus Coleman, who would be hoping to make an impression if there were friendlies. That's why the Carling Cup tournament earlier this year was so important as it allowed newcomers like Simon Cox and Jon Walters make an impression on the manager.

Meanwhile the qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup will begin and end with Kazakhstan. Our first game is away, probably in the capital Astana on Sept. 9 next year and we finish our campaign at home to the minnows of the group on Oct. 15, 2013. Full fixtures: 2012: Sept 7, v Kazakhstan (A); Oct. 12 v Germany (H); Oct. 16 v Faroe Islands (A). 2013: March 22 v Sweden (A); March 26 v Austria (H); June 7 v Faroe Islands (H); Sept. 6 v Sweden (H); Sept. 10 v Austria (A): Oct. 11 v Germany (A); Oct. 14 v Kazakhstan (A).

TRAP, TARDELLI

'DESERVE' CONTRACT

FAI CEO John Delaney said last week that the FAI board will meet in the coming weeks to discuss offering Giovanni Trapattoni and his assistant Marco Tardelli a new contract. The 72 year-old Trap feels that Tardelli and himself have done enough to earn a new contract. Trap said: ''We are all responsible people and we were aware that had we failed with qualification, things could have gone differently. But now, there is clarity on both sides. I have said I think that Marco and myself deserve a new agreement. We are now happy with the squad. We find new players in almost every game. We have done what we were asked to do by the FAI and the Irish people. They chose us for this reason and I think we have given the perfect answer with qualification.'' Trapattoni took over from Steve Staunton in February 2008 and his first game in charge was a friendly against Serbia at Croke Park in May 2008. He has now taken charge of the national team on 42 occasions and only Jack Charlton (94 games) and Mick McCarthy (68) have been in charge of more Irish senior teams.

MCCARTHY IS BACK

Justin McCarthy, who was forced out of Limerick last year, is back in hurling management in his native Cork. The 66-year old has been appointed manager of the Castlelyons club. McCarthy has also previously managed Antrim, Clare, Cork and Waterford.

Former Tipperary and Kildare footballer Brian Lacey is joining the Limerick senior football backroom team. Lacey, who has coached Kildare clubs Nurney and Rathangan, replaces Corkman Ephie Fitzgerald who has returned to his own club Nemo Rangers

O'SULLIVAN QUITS EAGLES

Eddie O'Sullivan quit last week as coach of the US Eagles rugby team. The Cork-born coach said: ''I have thoroughly enjoyed my two and a half years with the Eagles. I was delighted with our progress and overall performances in the Rugby World Cup, but I feel that it is now time for me to consider other options closer to home. '' Coincidentally on the same day as O'Sullivan quit, Martin Johnson announced that he was also standing down as England's rugby coach. O'Sullivan, who is 52, is unlikely to get the England job, but he could get a job with a club in England or Ireland.

FAN SUES GAA

Louth supporter Paddy Garvey is taking the GAA to court in Dublin on Dec. 13. The plaintiff's case is based on an assertion that the GAA "deliberately" broke their own rules when they "declared" Meath as Leinster football champions in 2010. Tyrone referee Martin Sludden awarded a controversial late goal to Meath after Joe Sheridan literally fell over the Louth goal line with the ball in his hands. Fergal McGill, the GAA's operations manager said: ''The one thing that we were criticized for was not awarding a replay, which is something that we could not do because we would have been in breach of our rules.''

PSNI FOR CROKER

A PSNI Gaelic Football team will play their Garda counterparts at Croke Park on Friday Nov. 25. The Northern Ireland police force have played the Gardai on an annual basis for the McCarthy Cup since 2002, but this will be the first time the game will be played at Croke Park. The McCarthy Cup is named after Thomas St George McCarthy, who was a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary and was one of the GAA's founding members in 1884.

TD WANTS SOCCER VACATION

There was laughter in the Dáil chamber last week when Wexford TD Mick Wallace suggested that the house should rise for two weeks in June while the Euro 2012 Finals are being played in Poland and the Ukraine. Wallace, who is also manager of the Wexford Youths and a huge fan of Italian soccer in particular, suggested that TDs get time off for the first two weeks of the tournament, which commences on June 8, and then return to work for the end of June and all of July. But Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore wasn't biting and said that the usual summer holiday period would apply for TDs and Senators.

LOUTH PLANS STADIUM

Louth is the only county in the country that does not have a stadium capable of hosting a big hurling or football championship game. Now club delegates in the Wee County will be asked to give their backing at next month's county convention to a proposal which would see Louth GAA link up with Dundalk IT to co-develop a new facility on the college's grounds in Dundalk. The 12,000-capacity stadium is expected to cost around €6 million and the cost will be shared by the college, Louth County Board and Croke Park.

 

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