Versailles an option for Ireland’s Euro 2016 base

Two venues near Paris are in the final mix to act as Ireland’s tournament base for Euro 2016.

The FAI will choose between the historic city of Versailles and Croissy-Sur-Seine over the next 48 hours. Ireland manager Martin O’Neill and his assistant Roy Keane yesterday remained in France following Saturday’s draw to inspect the options.

Both venues are within a half-hour commute of the French capital and should Versailles be rubberstamped, the Irish delegation will stay at the luxurious Trianon Palace and use the Montbauron Stadium for training.

The Netherlands stayed there for the 1998 World Cup and had intended returning until their surprise shock Euro 2016 exit made the option available to the FAI.

The second location in contention is nearby Croissy-Sur-Seine which group opponents Italy had considered before opting for Montpellier.

Uefa’s organising committee approved a total of 68 base camps for the 24 competing nations to choose from. The FAI operations team assessed 18 of these facilities before recently whittling down to a shortlist of three before O’Neill and Keane were drafted in for a final look.

As preparations for next summer get into full swing, the FAI will meet Uefa officials today to discuss ticketing arrangements for the three group matches. Given the Stade de France has a capacity of 80,000, it is hoped ticket demand from Irish fans for the crucial opener against the Swedes will be fully accommodated.

Yesterday too, a second March friendly was confirmed for O’Neill’s team. With a game against Switzerland already pencilled in for Friday, March 25, at the Aviva Stadium, Ireland will now face fellow finalists Slovakia four days later at the same venue.

Plans are already in place for another friendly in Dublin in May, while Martin O’Neill has also indicated that he would like a second game that month.

Meanwhile, reaction to the Group E draw has continued to emerge, with Italian coach Antonio Conte appearing to be of the belief that Ireland haven’t changed at all since the Jack Charlton era.

“Ireland, like all Anglo-Saxon sides, play a physical 4-4-2 with great intensity,” he opined. “But nobody likes to face Italy — we are an organised team with ideas, who can improve.”

And if Martin O’Neill is looking for a clipping to stick up on the wall of the Irish dressing room in the Stade de France on June 13, he could choose a report from the paper Expressen in which Swedish defender Per Nilsson was quoted: “It’s a hard draw but Ireland we should beat.”