Vera Pauw’s Ireland await Nations League draw

NATIONS LEAGUE: Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw. File pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Uefa’s angling towards a meritocracy in women’s football will be apparent on Tuesday lunchtime when the draw for the inaugural Nations League is made in Nyon.

Ireland manager Vera Pauw flagged what she considered the ‘detrimental’ concept last August, citing the unfairness of offering favouritism to the bigger nations to reach the next European Championships in 2025 hosted by Switzerland.