Trapattoni prepares to lead Ireland up a mountain

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI calls it “a speciality game”.

He’s referring to the peculiar circumstances of Ireland’s must-win qualifier in Andorra on Friday, a game which will be played at altitude, on a small pitch, in an 850-capacity stadium, against robust opponents with nothing to play for but national pride and a chance to show the outside world that, whatever the FIFA rankings might say, they aren’t one of the most hapless teams on the planet.

Speaking after the Irish squad’s first training session in Malahide yesterday, Trapattoni said he was confident altitude would not be a problem for the visitors although he conceded “it could be a factor” in terms of its repercussions for the following Tuesday’s final qualifier against Armenia in Dublin.