Terrible that Belfast will not host Euro 2028 games – Martin O’Neill

It is “terrible” and “really poor” that Belfast will miss out on the opportunity to host football games during the Euro 2028 tournament, Martin O’Neill has said.

The interim Celtic manager and former Northern Ireland captain said the region had missed out on commercial opportunities because of the failure to have matches staged at Casement Park.

The tournament will be hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

It was originally intended that some matches would be held at the currently derelict GAA stadium in west Belfast.

But last year the UK Government said it would not bridge a funding gap to deliver the redevelopment of the ground in time.

Instead, Northern Ireland will host the draw for the tournament next December.

O’Neill told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme that Belfast missing out on matches was “terrible”.

He added: “I think how they couldn’t have got an act together, put some money in, even over-expended, if that’s the case.

“But look at the opportunities, look at the commercial opportunities that are lost to them.

“Look at all of those things that are lost to Northern Ireland here in the foreseeable future because of this.”

He said: “The whole situation is really poor, really poor.

“A great opportunity, a fantastic opportunity, and for the players, wouldn’t it have been lovely for them to step out there in Northern Ireland to play a game?”

Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium at the Casement Park site have been mired in uncertainty because of the major funding shortfall.

After the prospect of hosting Euro 2028 games was over, the UK Government allocated £50 million in the summer to support the redevelopment of the derelict venue.

While that added to around £120 million that has been pledged by the Stormont Executive, Irish government and GAA, it is still not enough to cover the cost of the rebuild.

Stormont’s deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly told the Northern Ireland Assembly this week that she understood the funding gap is currently in excess of £100 million.

Stormont ministers committed £62.5 million to Casement in 2011 as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football’s Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill.

While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of planning-based legal challenges by local residents.

The estimated build cost spiralled in the interim.