Italy will visit Dublin for the first time in 20 years at the start of next season, the FAI revealed yesterday. The former World Champions will take on Ireland on August 17th at Lansdowne Road in a game being marketed by the association as the second part of a double bill that includes next month's meeting with China.

Confirmation of the visit of China on Tuesday, March 29th, had been expected, but news that the Italians, who as usual number many of the Continent's biggest stars amongst their squad, will play in Dublin for the first time since their memorable 2-1 win at a dangerously overcrowded Dalymount Park in February 1985 is something of a coup for the association.

The Italians will be the sixth team from the world's top 10 to take on the Republic in less than 20 months, and it will kick off a sequence of matches that includes the World Cup qualifiers with France (home), Cyprus (away) and Switzerland (home) over the following two months.

"The game will be ideal preparation for the three World Cup qualifiers," Brian Kerr said yesterday. "They're one of the traditional powers in the world game and it's great to see them coming back to Dublin."

It will be only Ireland's fifth meeting with the Italians, whose one defeat to the Republic came on the last occasion the two sides met, in Giants Stadium in New Jersey during USA '94 when Ray Houghton scored the only goal of the game.

Their meeting at Dalymount, meanwhile, has achieved legendary status, with the then World Champions scoring a narrow win thanks to goals from Paolo Rossi and Alessandro Altobelli, while Gary Waddock found the net for the home side.

Tickets for the two games will go on sale next Friday from Ticketmaster, as well as from clubs and leagues around the country.