AS THEY awaken from a fitful sleep this morning, many of the Poles who spent time working in Ireland will be struggling with a certain sense of apprehension.
The Irish, they’ll know by now, are about to descend and those who casually suggested that they may not be strangers in the event they ever swing by central Europe are likely to be wondering now just what it is that they let themselves in for.
The FAI, it seems, is to get an allocation of around 6,500 tickets for each of Ireland’s group games at next summer’s European Championships but after Giovanni Trapattoni’s side was drawn alongside Croatia, Spain and Italy last night there was a definite sense that that just might not be enough.
The Irish will kick off their campaign against Croatia on Sunday, June 10th and Slaven Bilic’s side, now ranked eighth in the world, will be formidable opponents. Somewhat inevitably the encounters with current European and World champions Spain as well four times world cup winners Italy will represent even greater attractions.
Add to that the prospect of a trip to Ukraine for England in the quarter-finals if Trapattoni somehow engineers a top two finish for his side in the group and it is hard to argue with the scale of the attraction - or the task ahead.
“There’s no denying it has been a tough draw,” said Ireland midfielder Keith Andrews
Trapattoni, meanwhile, was respectful. “Every game lasts 90 minutes and anything can happen during those 90 minutes,” he said.
Draw details: Sports Weekend
