The Government is preparing to refuse visas to the Yugoslavian soccer team if European football officials do not postpone Ireland's match against Yugoslavia, due to take place in Dublin on Saturday.
Government sources last night indicated they were determined the match would not go ahead, but said they wanted UEFA to make the decision to cancel the game. "We don't want to make the decision for UEFA and let them off the hook," said one Government source.
Amid growing Government anger at the stance of UEFA, the European football governing body, the Cabinet and EU Ministers will today make renewed appeals to the organisation to call off the match in the light of the Kosovo situation. "We expect UEFA will make a responsible decision," said a Government spokesman last night. Ministers fear the match could prove a propaganda coup for Belgrade. If UEFA says the match must go ahead, the Government will make a decision, possibly by this evening, on whether or not to grant visas.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said he and his colleagues would "consider the position further" if UEFA refused to change its mind. He can refuse to grant visas without a formal Cabinet meeting.
The Minister for Sport, Dr McDaid, said he was "surprised and disappointed" at the UEFA stance. He will be among EU ministers who will meet senior international football officials in Germany today to discuss the scheduling of the match.
It is unclear what action UEFA will take if the Government refuses to grant visas.
A Government spokesman said yesterday that FAI officials have warned that Ireland would be expelled from the European Championships if the visas were refused. However other sources said UEFA would take less drastic action. It could deem Yugoslavia to have won the match and award it the three points for a win. Alternatively, it could fine the Football Association of Ireland and order the match to be played at a neutral venue. Representatives for UEFA could not be contacted for clarification last night.
The Irish Embassy in Athens received the visa applications on behalf of the Yugoslav team and officials yesterday morning. Yesterday's Cabinet meeting postponed a decision on granting the visas.
This morning, Dr McDaid and other EU sports ministers will meet the president of FIFA, Mr Sepp Blatter, and either the president of UEFA, Mr Lennart Johannsen, or another senior UEFA official in Paderborn, Germany. The Government expects to know by early afternoon whether there is any prospect of UEFA reversing its position.
UEFA has said it has received no official requests to call off the game, but in a response yesterday, Dr McDaid said UEFA had been well aware of the Irish Government's position for some time.
"The FAI has this morning confirmed to the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation that the Government statement of 11th May was faxed by the FAI to UEFA at the time and that again, on 24th May, 1999, the FAI faxed a message to UEFA for their meeting in Barcelona seeking a postponement of the match and informing UEFA that the Irish Government will be boycotting the match."
The Irish team manager, Mick McCarthy, said yesterday it was not up to the players to say whether or not the match should be played.
Yesterday the Government told UEFA that the EU foreign ministers had called on the European footballing body to reconsider its decision to insist the match go ahead.
The Ireland-Kosovo Solidarity Group is to hold a series of peaceful protests if the match goes ahead, including a protest at the match itself. Members of the Bosnian and Kosovan communities in Ireland will participate in these protests, the organisation said yesterday. It has called for a boycott of the game by supporters.