Barcelona ruled out as venue for Andorra game

IT’S a case of contrasting fortunes on the venue front for Irish football, with Barcelona officially ruled out as the location for Ireland’s game against Andorra in October but Shamrock Rovers thrown a lifeline which means they still hope to stage their Europa League games in Tallaght.

The FAI yesterday confirmed that their appeal to UEFA to have the European Championship qualifier on October 7 played in Barcelona has been turned down.

The match will now take place in the tiny, 1,800-capacity Estadi Comunal, Andorra, where Russia and Slovakia have already had to play their group games.