Republic of Ireland charged by UEFA over tennis-ball protests

UEFA has confirmed Republic of Ireland have been charged after protests during their Euro 2020 qualifier against Georgia in Dublin.

Published : Mar 28, 2019 19:27 IST

Richard Keogh during Republic of Ireland's defeat of Georgia
Richard Keogh during Republic of Ireland's defeat of Georgia
lightbox-info

Richard Keogh during Republic of Ireland's defeat of Georgia

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has been charged by UEFA after fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch during a Euro 2020 qualifier.

Tuesday's game between Republic of Ireland and Georgia in Dublin was paused for a short period during the first half due to the protest.

It did not appear to negatively affect Ireland's players, though, as Conor Hourihane curled home a free-kick directly after the delay with the goal proving the winner for Mick McCarthy's side.

But the FAI is facing a UEFA charge over the incident, with the governing body announcing the case will be heard by its Control, Ethics and Disciplinary on May 16.

McCarthy had appeared unimpressed with the planned protest when asked by reporters at a pre-match news conference.

"I can't do anything about it. I'm not going to take a tennis racket with me," McCarthy said.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment