Ireland are playing their own Nations Cup tournament in June and they’ve managed to bring England on board, too.
At the expense of Wales though.
The Aviva Stadium will host three games against Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland in 10 days but you’ll only get to see two of them.
With the much anticipated friendly clash with England on the horizon just six days before the crunch Euro qualifier with the Scots on June 13, the FAI have announced a game with Northern Ireland now, too.
Michael O’Neill’s men are flying in Group F and his namesake Martin will use the game as a training exercise to welcome back his squad from their club seasons and to begin to build progressively towards what has been described as a must-win match with Scotland.
The behind-closed-doors event will take place on June 4, three days before the English arrive, and the Republic boss is happy with the format because it means they can mix it up as much as necessary.
“With the season ending early for a lot of our players, we see this as a mutually beneficial exercise for both sides,” O’Neill – Martin O’Neill – said. “Holding the match behind closed doors will give us the flexibility to make any changes we see fit ahead of the European qualifiers on June 13.
“The Championship season ends on May 2, and if players are not involved in play-offs, that could be over a month without any games. It represents an ideal opportunity to build the intensity of our preparations, leading into the England friendly, and before the important qualifier against Scotland.”
The Windsor Park are also preparing for an important tie with Romania and they are set to benefit from the unofficial fixture.
“It was important for us to get a quality game before the EURO 2016 qualifier against Romania at home,” O’Neill – Michael O’Neill – said. “This game provides the perfect scenario on the back of the Qatar friendly.”
