Euro progress can ease FAI cash crisis

Martin O’Neill will need to guide his Ireland side through next month’s Euro 2016 play-off for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to feel any real commercial benefits.

It’s understood the two-legged decider, taking place from November 12-17, will result in merely a modest income boost for the cash-strapped organisation, principally due to Uefa’s centralised television rights deal.

Whereas previously the association could broker their own television rights accord, as occurred for the 2009 World Cup play-off against France when an estimated 10m was banked from French and German companies, all revenues are covered under the centralised Uefa deal since 2014.