Ireland game against Slovakia to be played behind closed doors

All tickets will be refunded.

Ireland's EURO 2020 playoff semi-final against Slovakia will be played behind closed doors, it was announced today. Mick McCarthy's men are due to face off against Slovakia on Thursday 26th March, as they look to qualify for the tournament being held across a host of European cities, including Dublin, in June of this year. The decision was taken as the COVID-19 Coronavirus continues to spread across the continent, with a number of major sporting and social events being cancelled in the likes of Spain and Germany, while the whole of Italy is in a state of lockdown. President of the Slovakian FA Ján Kováčik announced that the game would go ahead, but without spectators, at a briefing this afternoon. They also announced that all tickets purchased will be fully refunded, and encouraged fans to follow them on social media and through their official website for further announcements. The FAI released this brief statement on their website;

"The decision has just been relayed to the Football Association of Ireland by the Slovakian FA following a directive from their government. All fans who purchased tickets for the game in Bratislava will be refunded. For supporters with queries regarding refunds, please contact customer-relations@fai.ie"

https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status/1237359371178344448 Mick McCarthy will name a 23-man squad this Friday for the game against Slovakia in just over two weeks time. Should Ireland win, they will face the winner of Bosnia-Northern Ireland. Ticket sales for that game were postponed earlier today, with no indication as to whether or not the game will also be played behind closed doors.