After an unprecedented war between a participating country and the host nation, Iran opened its campaign in a charged atmosphere with adoring fans, banned flags and players speaking out, writes Andrew Beaton, The Wall Street Journal.
Government ministers have supported the Football Association of Ireland, for once facing a dilemma not of its own making.
An extraordinary hysteria accompanied Ireland to their World Cup play-off in Prague. Dion Fanning wonders what this longing tells us about the country and, after another defeat, will it help on the long road back for Irish football?
In a long and distinguished diplomatic career, Declan O’Donovan served as Ireland’s ambassador to Japan from 1995 to 2001. The film Saipan raised a question in his mind which he is still searching to answer. He tells Dion Fanning what it was.
It turns out Irish football could still make the whole country feel alive — all it needed was Troy Parrott in Budapest to remind us. This is the story of how that feeling slipped away, and why its comeback hits so hard.
Ireland have a nondescript manager, with a team that plays non football and yet many still cling to the idea that good times might be just around the corner.
Harry Kane is among several professional footballers that invested in tech company StatSports, which has now sold a majority stake to Sony.
While “més que un club” is the tagline of FC Barcelona, it arguably applies even more strongly to Real Madrid. Atlético de Madrid fans will not like my saying it, but in the era of Florentino Pérez, there is nothing more Madrid than Real Madrid.
Long before the transfer of Ireland’s male goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu to Liège, the club had been betting on Irish talent for its leading women’s team. Amber Barrett, Claire O’Riordan and Aoife Colvill share their Belgian experience with Fergal Lenehan.
The good performance of the German team so far has echoes of the 2006 World Cup. There are good football reasons for this, but it has yet to translate into a wider positive national feeling.
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