Ireland to play Spain at Yankee Stadium

The FAI have confirmed Ireland will take on world and European champions Spain in a friendly at New York’s Yankee Stadium on June 11, despite the second leg of their planned trip to the States failing to get off the ground.

Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad will cross the Atlantic for the end of a hectic four-game spell which includes a friendly away to England on May 29 and the home qualifier with the Faroe Islands on June 7. They also play Georgia at home in a friendly on June 2. There had initially been plans for a second game in the US against Greece, but the Spanish game will now be held as a standalone fixture.

Trapattoni said: “Matches against opposition like England, Georgia and Spain are very helpful to that development and great preparation for our important competitive fixtures in June, September and October.”

Manchester City and Chelsea are also scheduled to meet at the iconic baseball ground at the end of May — although ticket prices for both games may come as a bit of a shock to supporters.

A top-priced bundle for admittance to both games is priced at $829 (€635), with the cheapest ticket for Ireland’s trip to the Bronx $58.50 (€45) and rising to $449.50 (€335).

The bundle packages go on sale via the Yankees’ website tomorrow afternoon while Irish fans interested in travelling can buy tickets via the FAI website from April 15.

It will be the first international football game to be played at the current home of the 27-time World Series champions but concerns have already been raised about potentially restricted views from some parts of the baseball specific shape of the stadium.

The original Yankee Stadium, which had its last game at the end of 2008 before being demolished in 2011, hosted many famous teams from the world of soccer, including Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus, Napoli, Celtic, Benfica and Sparta Prague along with the national teams of England, Israel, Italy and the United States.

Pele and the New York Cosmos also called Yankee Stadium home in the 1976 season of the North American Soccer League.

The game will serve as a Confederations Cup warm-up for Spain, who head to Brazil the following week.

Meanwhile, the FAI also confirmed the World Cup qualifier away to Austria on September 10 will be played in Vienna.