No FAI penalty if Trap made wholesale changes

Claims the FAI could be fined by UEFA if Giovanni Trapattoni had made several changes for tonight’s match are unfounded.

UEFA’s Euro-2012 regulations make no reference to “strong” or “weak” selections, no doubt based on the assumption every national team manager will choose his best 23 players in the first place.

Fears Spain and Croatia might consider a rejigged Ireland team to be a weak selection are also misplaced.

In the age of rotation, three or four changes would arguably refresh and strengthen Trapattoni’s line-up, 10 of whom were given the run-around by Spain on Thursday night, and all of whom started against Croatia eight days ago.