Argentina to visit Landsdowne

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http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/diego-for-dublin-1548192.html

DIEGO MARADONA'S Argentina will take on Ireland in the first soccer international at the new Lansdowne Road.

The South Americans have agreed to be the high-profile guests on August 18, 2010 when the refurbished venue returns to the spotlight.

FAI chief executive John Delaney stated earlier this week that a game had been booked but the association would not be revealing the identity of the opposition until the New Year.

However, the Irish Independent can confirm that the two-time World Cup winners will be Ireland's guests on the historic night.

They last visited 10 years ago, when they had a comfortable 2-0 win at the old Lansdowne in a game notable, from an Irish perspective, for the home debut of a teenage Robbie Keane.

Unveiling

This week, they played Scotland in a friendly with the SFA forking out £800,000 to bring them to Hampden Park.

The FAI will be hoping that Maradona is still at the helm by the time the Lansdowne unveiling comes around as his presence gave the Scots a publicity boost as they struggled to fill seats for their encounter; they still only managed to muster up a turnout of 32,492 and deny they made a loss.

The FAI is battling the current economic climate as it bids to sell 10-year premium tickets in the new ground. It has to start making financial contributions to the project from January, with Delaney saying sales are on course despite speculation to the contrary.

The Argentina match will take place in the first international window after the conclusion of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Estie will be pleased.

OhNoYouDidn't

May I sound a note of caution. This is an unsourced scoop by Danny McDonnell in the Indo.....

Alarm bells ring etc.

stovelid

It should be banned immediately.

I've heard their Junta firm are pretty tasty.

Pighead

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

May I sound a note of caution. This is an unsourced scoop by Danny McDonnell in the Indo.....

Alarm bells ring etc.

Cracking journo. Dundalks finest! His take on the Bohs fiasco is probably the only blemish on an outstanding career thus far!

gimmick

Can I support the national team that day so I get a big day out?

PCros

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

May I sound a note of caution. This is an unsourced scoop by Danny McDonnell in the Indo.....

Alarm bells ring etc.

Nope its a true story, I know someone in FAI and it was confirmed yesterday, also they might be getting the lads over from England too to have a kick about.

Daysha

Had to lol at this tbh

The FAI will be hoping that Maradona is still at the helm by the time the Lansdowne unveiling comes around as his presence gave the Scots a publicity boost as they struggled to fill seats for their encounter; they still only managed to muster up a turnout of 32,492 and deny they made a loss.

1) It's scheduled for after the World Cup, so unless Maradona actually manages to achieve something there (which he won't) there isn't a hope in hell he'll be in charge for the game.

2) It's the first match of our new stadium ffs, do they honestly think they need a "publicity boost". It's only a 50,000 seater, so they could play the Vatican and they'd still sell out, given the situation.

Tom65

I was at the match the last time Argentina played in Lansdowne, and if I recall correctly, it ended 1-1. What are the odds we'll be away without a loss? (then again, it is nearly two years away).


I'm really looking forward to the new Lansdowne. I had no fondness for the old one - it was like being in a particularly leaky barn.

monkey9

Tom65 wrote: »

I was at the match the last time Argentina played in Lansdowne, and if I recall correctly, it ended 1-1. What are the odds we'll be away without a loss? (then again, it is nearly two years away).


I'm really looking forward to the new Lansdowne. I had no fondness for the old one - it was like being in a particularly leaky barn.

Argentina won two nil that time

Mr Magnolia

Looking forward to seeing that game.

eirebhoy

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

May I sound a note of caution. This is an unsourced scoop by Danny McDonnell in the Indo.....

Alarm bells ring etc.

Excellent journalist when it comes to the Irish national team anyway.

OhNoYouDidn't

eirebhoy wrote: »

Excellent journalist when it comes to the Irish national team anyway.

Thats reporting on games though. When it comes to 'scooping' and the FAI politicing, he is almost always wrong. Didn't he opinion that B*hs were in the clear on the property deals?

Tom65

monkey9 wrote: »

Argentina won two nil that time

I stand corrected. Then who did we draw with that were good? Maybe I'm thinking of Brazil? Can anyone read my mind?

newballsplease

Tom65 wrote: »

I stand corrected. Then who did we draw with that were good? Maybe I'm thinking of Brazil? Can anyone read my mind?

yea we drew 0-0 with brazil, i remember becuase i was at the dreadful match....

SantryRed

Hopefully they give the one tiered stand behind the goal to singing fans. They could really make Lansdowne a place where teams could fear to go and the likes.

Anyways, would of rather England and seen them smash it up. Would have been hilarious:D

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SantryRed wrote: »

Hopefully they give the one tiered stand behind the goal to singing fans

lol.

Any fans of Ireland who'd want to sing would be LoI fans too, and they'd be singing Anti-FAI songs all the time.

No way they'll go for this.

Also, when they did it before, they started robbing the tickets back anyway.

The FAI don't like atmosphere at matches. You know only last week the Shels fans were told not to display a banner ffs.

thusspakeblixa

Ireland v Argentina in 1998 was my 1st ever Ireland match...
looking forward to this now

Daysha

Des wrote: »

You know only last week the Shels fans were told not to display a banner ffs.

What did it say?

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deise59 wrote: »

What did it say?

Three words.

Fúck Them All

Daysha

Des wrote: »

Three words.

Fúck Them All

LMAO

And you're DISAGREEING with the FAI removing the banner?!?

Töpher

deise59 wrote: »

LMAO

And you're DISAGREEING with the FAI removing the banner?!?

You AGREE with censoring the fans in the ground? You agree with the FAI dictating what can and cannot be said in a ground? Heil mein Fuhrer, heil! :pac:

The_B_Man

**** them all

hmm, boards must be run by the FAI!! they remove it also!! :eek: