The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has decided to postpone St Patrick’s Athletic’s upcoming trip to Dundalk for a Premier Division match on Sunday amidst their two-legged playoff against Basaksehir as part of their bid to qualify for the Uefa Conference League group stages for the first time ever.
In their first encounter with the Turkish squad in Tallaght, Stephen Kenny’s team battled to a 0-0 draw on a Thursday night. However, League of Ireland director Mark Scanlon’s decision now provides St Pat’s with a six-day rest period before the next leg of the playoff in Istanbul the following Wednesday.
Should St Pat’s succeed, it’s probable that they’ll join Shamrock Rovers in the Monaco Conference League draw taking place the subsequent Friday. After their 4-0 defeat to PAOK in the first leg of their Europa League playoff, the Irish champions are predicted to be shifted to the Conference League – a move estimated to be worth at least €3.7 million.
An official statement from the FAI confirmed the postponement of the Premier Division fixture between Dundalk and St Patrick’s Athletic, citing the unique chance for two League of Ireland clubs to compete in the UEFA club competitions’ league phase for the first time.
Acknowledging the unusual setting in which the scheduled fixtures for St Patrick Athletic are six days apart instead of the standard seven, the League of Ireland chose to postpone the Sunday match at Oriel Park, with a new date to be declared eventually.
Stephen Kenny observed late on a Thursday night that his Dundalk team benefitted from postponed league fixtures in 2016, which facilitated their progress to the Europa League group stages. He defended his remarks, insisting on the necessity for support from all corners due to the colossal challenges Irish clubs face on their way to the group stage.
Earlier this week, Scanlon suggested that St Pat’s wouldn’t be granted any exceptions, despite their chance to bag more than the total League of Ireland reward pool of €765,000, if they clinch two group matches in the Conference League, amounting to €800,000. According to the terms of the League’s participation, the director possesses the authority to reschedule a game up to 24 hours prior to the initial start, primarily if considered beneficial for either the league itself or the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).