The first-leg play-off of the Uefa Conference League will feature a match between St Patrick’s Athletic and Başakşehir at Tallaght stadium, and will be broadcast live on SolidSport.com at 7.45pm on Thursday (streaming fee of €10). The decision of the FAI to schedule a pivotal Premier Division match for St Patrick’s Athletic between the Thursday game in Tallaght and the subsequent second leg in Istanbul on the following Wednesday has provoked strong criticism from former Irish national team manager Stephen Kenny, who described it as “insane” and “crazy”. The Dublin-based team hopes to progress to the financially lucrative group stages of the Uefa Conference League, a feat that could earn the Inchicore club a minimum of €3.17 million.
Kenny’s players have a difficult schedule ahead, as they need to face Dundalk at Oriel Park on Sunday, a team currently positioned eight points below St Pat’s in the relegation play-off place. Kenny expressed concern about the demands on his players, saying this series of matches – potentially the most important in St Patrick’s Athletic history – requires them to deliver peak performances, and having to play three games in less than six days, including against Dundalk, is quite taxing. Kenny further pointed out that this could affect their performance in the crucial Wednesday game in Turkey.
Contrary to Irish teams, none of the Turkish teams in the European competition have a domestic match lined up for the weekend. Moreover, Dundalk declined St Pat’s request to reschedule Sunday’s match. Thus far, only Shamrock Rovers (in 2011, 2022, and the current year) and Kenny’s Dundalk in 2016 have managed to reach the group stages of European football. Given the current Irish football funding model and the limitations of the existing facilities (with Richmond Park not meeting Uefa standards to host this match), it would be a huge achievement for St Pat’s to join this select group.
Kenny currently faces arguably the toughest scenario he’s ever encountered in his illustrious management history. After a lacklustre stint as Ireland’s manager, which came to an end last November following 40 games, he committed to a five-year contract with the League of Ireland in August. Kenny readily admitted that St Pat’s team isn’t robust enough to contend for local trophies.
St Pat’s earned their place in Europe as the 2023 victors of the FAI Cup, an accolade won under Jon Daly, presently Dundalk’s manager. Their memorable 1-0 triumph over Sabah in Azerbaijan last week positions them on the brink of six European evenings they’ll not forget, possibly facing teams like Fiorentina or Chelsea.
“Only a pair of Irish clubs have accomplished this, primarily through league victories,” added Kenny, “If we manage it, we’ll certainly have taken the challenging route. Victories in Europe are incredibly unique, and it would be exceptionally special if our team manages to attain it.”
Romal Palmer has made waves since joining from the Turkish team, Göztepe, on loan. But the departure of Ruairí Keating to Cork City places an overwhelming anticipations on the young 16-year-old forward, Mason Melia, who has scored three goals across 26 league appearances so far.
When it comes to paperwork, St Pat’s only have a sliver of hope in defeating Çağdaş Atan’s multinational and skilled team, Basaksehir – the same team that celebrated their 2020 Champions League debut with a victory over Manchester United.
The defence, led by Joe Redmond, will certainly have a tough time keeping Brazilian João Figueiredo and Polish striker, Krzysztof Piatek, at bay as they’ve already scored nine goals together in just 12 matches this season.
St Pat’s have set their sights on constantly participating in the group stages of UEFA’s third level competition in the medium term. However, it’s unlikely that they’ll reach the European football stage in 2025. They’ve been eliminated from the FAI Cup by Derry City and are currently trailing by eight points in the league, behind third-placed Waterford, in the final Conference qualifier spot.
North stand tickets for the game in Tallaght remain available through the St Pat’s website or at the stadium.