Taoiseach Micheal Martin slams 'out of order' UEFA over Euro 2020 decision

Taoiseach Micheal Martin claims UEFA were 'out of order' to demand Euro 2020 host countries to allow spectators into games. 

Dublin was due to host matches in the tournament this summer, but the games were moved from the city on Friday because the FAI and the government were unable to guarantee spectator attendance.

The three group games scheduled for the Aviva Stadium were moved to St Petersburg, while the last 16 clash was switched to Wembley. Bilbao was also stripped of matches.

Speaking on RTE's The Week In Politics, the Taoiseach said: "I thought UEFA were out of order, quite frankly, putting that condition on countries.

But he claimed that spectators could return to games by the end of the summer, adding: "It is difficult for people. I understand that. I want to be at a match.

"There is nothing I would love more than to be at a club championship game (Gaelic Games) at some time during the summer.

"That may happen towards the end of the summer. We will look at all those things."

"If you look at what's happening all over Europe in terms of the B117 (COVID-19 variant) and in terms of the high incidence in European member state countries, to ... be putting obligations on countries to force spectators in prematurely in my view it was a wrong call.  I never thought it was a realistic proposition."