Ireland to set up camp in Versailles for Euro 2016
The Republic of Ireland will be based in Versailles for their Euro 2016 odyssey next summer.
The FAI confirmed on Friday that Martin O'Neill's men will set up camp in the UEFA-approved hotel Trianon Palace. The team will train at AFC Versailles' Stade de Montbauron.
The base got the seal of approval from O'Neill and his assistant Roy Keane after they visited the city last Sunday with FAI CEO John Delaney.
"The facilities and accommodation in Versailles are second to none, and will cater for every need of the team, management and backroom staff," Delaney said.
"I visited the area with Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane, and both are extremely impressed and looking forward to being based there."
Ireland open the tournament with a clash against Sweden in Stade de France in Paris before meeting Belgium in Bordeaux and Italy in Lille. Versailles lies just outside the French capital.
Keane was involved in an infamous bust-up with then Ireland manager Mick McCarthy back in 2002 over the standard of the Republic's base in Saipan, but the No 2 has no qualms about putting the players through their paces in the historic city, as Ireland look to emerge from a daunting Group E.
Former Ireland boss Brian Kerr spoke on RTÉ Sport podcast The Panel about the importance of picking the right training ground or a major finals.
"I went and had a look at the Versailles training ground before we played France in 2003... and remember saying, 'this is lovely, this is nice', but it was too far outside Paris for me," said Kerr.
"I didn't want us to spend a lot of time going from the hotel to the training ground or to the stadium itself on the match night so I knocked it on the head.
"Communication with the players is very important to understand what they would like and sometimes you have to come to a bit of a compromise.
"I felt [in the build-up to Euro 2012] Trapattoni misunderstood the Irish psyche and thought he was with Italian players, and that they would put up with the regime he had which from what I believe was a very strict regime."
FAI confirms Ireland's Euro 2016 ticket allocation
The FAI has confirmed that Ireland will get 13,000 tickets for their opening game of next summer’s Euro 2016 championships against Sweden in Paris.
The Republic of Ireland's official ticket allocation was announced earlier on Friday as just 13,000 of the 81,138 tickets for the Stade de France clash will go to the travelling Ireland fans.
And Ireland supporters will have to compete for a meagre 6,000 tickets for the Belgium game in Bordeaux (stadium capacity 42,115), while there are 7,000 tickets up for grabs for the final group game against Italy in Lille (stadium capacity 50,186).
A statement from the FAI read: “The application process of issuing tickets for the three Group E games is open to all Republic of Ireland supporters. However, preference will be given to Supporters Clubs, Season Ticket holders, Fans Direct members, and supporters who have accumulated a significant number of points.
“Priority allocation will also be given to supporters from affiliated football leagues and more than 2,000 clubs that fall under their remit, Board and National Council members, Club Ireland members, Jack Charlton Lounge patrons, Sponsors, and players/staff.
“For each Participating National Association at EURO 2016 a total of 2,000 tickets have been awarded by UEFA. The FAI intends to distribute these tickets, once the UEFA ticketing application process is complete, to unsuccessful applicants with a proven match attendance track record, and to the ‘Football Family’. This number is not included in the overall ‘Allocation’ figure, listed above.”
Successful applicants will begin to receive notification from UEFA in February 2016. Unsuccessful applicants notifications will be approximately three weeks after successful applicants as more tickets could become available following the first round of tickets being offered.
Tickets are only available for application on the UEFA ticketing portal, which will close on Monday, 18 January, 2016.
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