'A significant day for Irish football' - FAI confirm Euro 2028 bid
FAI Chief Executive Jonathan Hill has called the joint bid from the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales a "significant day for Irish football".
Hill said on FAI.ie:
"The confirmation of our joint Expression of Interest to host Euro 2028 alongside our colleagues at the FAs of Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales makes this, I believe, a significant day for Irish football. As we look forward to celebrating our Centenary at Saturday’s Aviva Stadium friendly with Belgium, this represents a real statement of intent for the development of Irish football as a whole.
"We will now work with UEFA, Government and all our stakeholder partners to present a bid that makes real sense for Ireland and for Irish football. The sporting and economic benefits that hosting such a tournament present would, we believe, be of major significance across all levels of our game and for many years to come. I look forward to briefing our Board and our football community on the next steps of this process in the coming weeks and months.
“If successful, I would see this as a catalyst for real growth in the game up to the Tournament and beyond, generating new monies that can help further investment across all aspects of Irish football, be it in facilities or coaching, and helping us to realise the stated ambition in our FAI Strategy 2022-2025 to grow the game at all levels.”
The bidders will be formally announced by UEFA on April 5.