Northern Eire is not going to be classed as a number nation for the Euro 2028 finals and can miss out on a back-door path to qualify, the Soccer Affiliation of Eire’s chief government says.
Uefa have but to formally define the qualification process for the event – which might be held within the UK and Eire – however it’s thought that the entire co-hosts will compete within the group phases of qualification, with no less than two spots left in reserve for nations who don’t qualify on advantage.
FAI CEO David Courell says that may not embrace Northern Eire, who additionally wouldn’t be part of any potential play-off collection involving the hosts as they’re now not thought to be a number nation after Casement Park’s removal as a host stadium.
These play-offs may contain any of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Eire who don’t qualify routinely for the event by the group phases.
Northern Eire would due to this fact should qualify by the common qualifying course of.
“To be clear Northern Eire will not qualify for an computerized slot if they don’t seem to be a number nation,” FAI CEO Courell stated at a media briefing in Dublin on Tuesday.
“We’re having conversations with Uefa however the working assumption is all of us [the UK and Ireland host nations] will undergo qualification and if we’re unsuccessful in qualifying on advantage, then there might be computerized slots in reserve – however that has but to be ratified by Uefa,” he added.
When contacted by BBC Sport NI, an Irish Soccer Affiliation spokesperson confirmed the place as relayed within the FAI briefing.
Casement Park in Belfast had initially been named as one of many host venues for Euro 2028, however plans to redevelop the stadium in time for the finals had been halted in September.
The UK authorities stated the estimated price of rebuilding the stadium had “risen dramatically” to greater than £400m.
It stated it could not be offering funding to redevelop the stadium in time for the event, including that there was a “important threat” it could not be inbuilt time.
