CROKE PARK IS in line to host a ‘Fan Zone’ for the Uefa Europa League final.
With the final in the Aviva Stadium, the overspill of fans will leave Dublin flooded with soccer supporters with precious few options.
It’s understood that Croke Park staff are already formulating a plan of how they might stage the event on Wednesday 22 May. However, the plan would depend on Liverpool making the final, according to Croke Park sources who confirmed this to The 42.
The details were first reported in The Independent when a number of soccer writers were briefed on new competitions on Tuesday morning.
In Jurgen Klopp’s final season, Liverpool could end up in the final, which would prove to be hugely popular given their historic Irish support.
The spectators would take up seats in the stands and be able to watch the game on a series of big screens on the pitch.
The 22 May date could prove problematic for the master fixture list. The Round 1 games for the senior football championship round-robin games are set for 25/26 May, involving the Leinster and Ulster finalists, which will in all likelihood include Dublin.
Having fans on the pitch just days prior to that will inevitably provoke some questions.
Speaking on Tuesday, Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis said that staging the game in Dublin could potentially become “extremely complicated” depending on the teams involved.
Rangers, who are level with Benfica heading into their second leg at Ibrox on Thursday, also remain in contention in the competition.
“One of the biggest challenges for us this year could be the Europa League final,” Theodoridis said.
“Under certain conditions, because of the potential teams that could qualify, this might end up being the most challenging for us.
“We know they will bring a number of supporters without tickets and then there is the issue of potential public viewing venues.
“We have already reserved Croke Park as a potential public viewing venue, but that could not be enough.
“There are a couple of pairings – I won’t speculate on the names but you are clever enough to work it out – that would be extremely challenging to find ways to accommodate everybody that will be present for that game.
“We are working on this already, together with the local authorities and also Football Supporters Europe.
“If we do get to one of those scenarios, we will also go to the supporters of the clubs involved to find the best solution.
“The biggest problem we have now is whether Croke Park would be big enough – because we think we would need more alternatives for public viewing for the people who will be in Dublin.
“It’s not an easy operation and it is just for a couple of scenarios which would make it extremely complicated – especially with clubs who already have a large fanbase on the island of Ireland.
“But we are working on it and will involve the fanbases as well. We have to see who gets to the semis and then we will start to work with them as well.”
– Additional reporting by Press Association
