Republic of Ireland General Discussion Thread 2026

orangerhyme · 25-11-2025 07:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124017500#Comment_124017500

He's pulling your leg.

Mac B · 25-11-2025 07:52PM

Thats a f*****g disgrace. Not a surprise though but it shows how Fifa are not only corrupt but are bias to certain teams and players.

I how ireland, Fai and other associations appeal this.

eire4 · 25-11-2025 08:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124018385#Comment_124018385

We won't but it truly is blatant and in your face bias and corruption.

BlazingSaddler · 25-11-2025 08:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124018312#Comment_124018312

Otamendi and Caicedo are both suspended for the first match

Speak Now · 25-11-2025 09:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124018334#Comment_124018334

I think it was a 4 match ban reduced to 2 on appeal, missed on with injury in the end anyway 😟

BlazingSaddler · 25-11-2025 10:18PM

Patrick Schick potentially dangerous

Dogsdodogsstuff · 25-11-2025 10:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124017863#Comment_124017863

At shels match in North Macedonia a very innocent incident nearly turned ugly fast. There was few fans in the big stadium and we were in a corner all on our own. We had a big section to ourselves but for some reason one weird steward got his knickers in a twist when we all congregated in a lower section and stayed making some noise. There was never any trouble or hint of it.

This dumbass steward was the only person making things an issue and started shouting at fans. Barely a minute later cops come down , put on hard hats and show their batons and it felt like things could get nasty . Never once was there any suggestion of trouble and the pitch was so far from the stand you’d want to have Olympic level throw to reach it with anything.

It wasn’t about safety , it was some weird twat not wanting shels fans having a nice compact section to make noise. Having a laugh with police after th game and one even let a shels fan take his shield and baton and hat.

Just shows how close things can kick off out of nothing.

The_Kew_Tour · 25-11-2025 11:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124017768#Comment_124017768

Police were nowhere to be seen. Ah this was late into night too, talking into early hours.

Did hear of Irish fan was stabbed in Home section. Again it was 18 years ago now.

The_Kew_Tour · 25-11-2025 11:15PM

Although as bad as that night was, nothing and I mean nothing beats the stories I heard down years of the trip to Russia in 2002. Apparently it was carnage.

Anyone here was at it?

JKerova1 · 25-11-2025 11:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124018946#Comment_124018946

I spoke to a guy who was at it. He said the police asked him for ID at one point and when he gave them his passport the police officer made him pay him money to give it back. He said some of the Russian supporters had pro-Loyalist/UVF flags to try and antagonise the Irish. How true this is I do not know but that's what he said.

The_Kew_Tour · 25-11-2025 11:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124018965#Comment_124018965

I heard those stories too. There was unionist flags at it remember seeing picture of them before.

Heard other stuff like fans in home end being taken away by supporters and police, another about fans been attacked in hotels.

Dogsdodogsstuff · 25-11-2025 11:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124018946#Comment_124018946

I was there, lucky to avoid trouble but heard loads of stories. Was careful not to use any taxis. Used the train station which was huge but nobody spoke English so it was a challange getting around. Some roads were unbearable , memory is hazy but I’d swear there were 5 or 6 lane each side on some roads.

Cant remember if the tip was “don’t be drunk when there’s police about” or “don’t be sober”, whichever it was they’d take your passport and look for bribes.

I didn't drink outside our hotel as it didn’t feel safe. Some people walking around drinking vodka bottles. Soldiers with machine guns at the match and a very hostile armed guard. Think it was because of the trouble in Moscow during the World Cup.

When plane was landing you could smell burning sulphur cause of Forrest fires. Also had terrible smell in hotel room of sulphur and we were in a 5 star hotel. In hotel bar there was a minutes silence after a rumour about a dead Irish fan. Was fun cheering lads bringing hookers up and then down to their rooms.

Out of all the places I travelled around the world that summer, Moscow was the most alien and f.**led up. I’d never go back. Some of the architecture and statues were amazing to be fair.

topmanamillion · 26-11-2025 01:42AM

Ignoring the rules so a 41 year old Ronaldo can play at the world cup is just another part of a massively corrupt FIFA. They've been doing this for donkeys years, sure the UEFA World Cup 2010 play off draw was only seeded when the groups finished and FIFA/UEFA realised Portugal and France might miss out. We were shafted by them even before the Henry handball. Even for the "26 world cup they're rigging the draw so Spain, England, Argentina and France won't meet until the semis at the earliest.

johnnyryan89 · 26-11-2025 02:09AM

Is anyone really surprised. Himself and the head of FIFA were at the white house recently to meet trump and attend some party. And isn't the statement written in a way that suggests the suspension doesn't automatically come into play if he's sent off again. FIFA will have to review it and decide whether to activate it.

kowloonkev · 26-11-2025 05:10AM

I actually despise FIFA.

Royale with Cheese · 26-11-2025 07:13AM

If he got sent off in the first world cup group game for punching someone in the face they'd probably find a way to overturn it at this stage.

McFly85 · 26-11-2025 09:36AM

I get the feeling Infantino doesn’t even like football, and he certainly doesn’t care for any meaningful competition. If he could go to a WWE style made up game where Ronaldo and Messi met in the final then he would.

Ronaldo was always going to get cleared to play in the first game - Infantino tried to get him into the Club World Cup to boost its image during the summer, so it no surprise he’ll want him on the pitch next summer.

The sad part is that the losers in all of this are the Portugal national team - they have goals in them without him, but will be forced to carry a 41 year old in their team so some executives can make some more money, and for Ronaldo to maybe get a chance to boost his stats with a goal or 2 against minnows.

josip · 26-11-2025 10:35AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124019348#Comment_124019348

At least the game that Ronaldo missed was the 9-1 drubbing of Armenia 😀

Although they probably wouldn't have scored 9 with him on the pitch, he'll have felt that he missed out on at least a hat-trick there and that sense of loss will be worse for him than missing any important match. At this stage it's only his own numbers that he cares about. If he cared about Portugal he'd retire.

jacool · 26-11-2025 10:49AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124017863#Comment_124017863

Strange that my experience is completely the opposite.

Anytime I have been at games where it has "kicked off", all in the UK, its always been between opposing fans only.

There are people of a certain mentality, and I am not including you here, who have issues with authority.

I was at a rugby game in Dublin in the 80s and a "Black Maria" pulled up nearby and 4 or 5 garda stepped out and were walking around, when one of the lads that I was with goes "That's intimidation, that is. Blatant intimidation."

Its a mind set. Sorry for veering off topic.

artanevilla · 26-11-2025 11:10AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124019527#Comment_124019527

I find the UK police know what they're doing and are very hands off, visible but discrete.

josip · 26-11-2025 11:24AM

Policing is generally different on the continent where they won't take any sh1t from crims or potential crims.

And in Europe, football supporters with their Ultras, are guilty until proven innocent. Eg. near us last week,

https://footyworld.org/leader-of-fc-partizans-grobari-zemun-killed-in-belgrade/

and linked from that article

https://footyworld.org/capo-of-diabos-vermelhos-benfica-found-dead/

I fully support the police being heavy handed with football supporters on the continent and also when Bohs are playing :)

Did you smash it · 26-11-2025 11:29AM

Was in Wrocław for the Europa conference league final and didn’t see any of the continental heavy handed policing even though there was small pockets of trouble.

this trouble in Prague in 2007 (unsure how much there was) formed because there was no police around clearly.

Did you smash it · 26-11-2025 11:40AM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z0DtbAVRHd8&pp=ygUMb2ZmIHRoZSBiYWxs

breezy1985 · 26-11-2025 11:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124019186#Comment_124019186

And some will tell you officials are not biased towards him.

Anyone else who gets a ban should be kicking up about this.

breezy1985 · 26-11-2025 11:56AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124019628#Comment_124019628

Some people seem to have a very rose tinted view of policing abroad. Usually as a stick to beat our own with.

You are ignoring the amount of them on the payroll of the ultras. There has been more than enough stories about ultras some how mysteriously getting access to away fans or gaining access to hotels. As some people said above they ain't shy looking for bribes and I have had it happen myself in Madrid.