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Republic of Ireland coach Vera Pauw believes UEFA should organize her team’s remaining Euro 2021 qualifiers into a Covid-19 ‘bubble’ next year rather than make them travel to Ukraine and Germany in the next few months.
Ireland will face the Germans in Essen on September 19 before a trip to Kiev to face Ukraine on October 23. Germany is scheduled to arrive in Dublin on December 1.
Ireland leads Group I with one more match played, but with the Germans expected to win the group, the tie in Ukraine is likely to be decisive for hopes of qualifying for a first major tournament, assuming they come forward of course.
Denise O’Sullivan has joined Brighton on loan to facilitate travel to crucial games, but players like Heather Payne (Florida State University) and Julie-Ann Russell (University of Sydney) will face major headaches traveling from and towards Europe.
Ireland’s players will travel directly to a training ground in Duisburg, Germany, on September 13 to try to minimize disruptions, but Pauw believes the games should be held in the February international friendly window.
“I’m surprised UEFA is only considering the September game, to get that out of the way and then look at Ukraine,” Pauw told RTÉ Sport.
“We as an organization would like to see it as a project, the three games together, but UEFA only wants to worry about the first of September.
“If you don’t take the Ukraine game with the Germany game, you will have the problem later that you will face in nine weeks, six weeks in quarantine.
“Germany does not have players in the whole world, we have them. Ukraine doesn’t have players in the whole world, we do, so it’s unfair competition.
“I would propose to create a bubble in February and play all three matches in that window of friendly tournaments, because in the end I don’t know how to get to Ukraine. The matches are scheduled to be played in Kiev, which has the highest infection rates in Ukraine. at this time.
“There is something going on in this world that we must be aware of and so I wonder if it is wise to play these games.
“That is a personal opinion of mine, a person who looks at the situation and thinks that I am not sure. But I will be there with all my heart.”
Pauw agreed this week to extend his contract with Ireland until after Euro 2021 if Ireland qualifies. The deferred tournament will now take place in England in July 2022.
The Dutchwoman says the FAI is interested in a long-term deal that would keep her in charge of the qualification campaign for the 2023 World Cup, but cannot commit to that at this stage.
“Of course the association has asked about that and they want to have a long-term agreement, but my husband (former Holland coach Bert van Lingen) is older than me (57). He turned 75 this year and we are very close so I don’t want to make long-term agreements because I don’t know what life will bring.
“That is the reason why I have not signed.
“We know that if we qualify we already have to play the qualifiers for the World Cup before the 2022 tournament.
“That is there, and the association has raised it, but for me my private life does not allow me to make those decisions.”
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