“Insane” and “crazy” is how former Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny labelled the FAI’s decision to schedule an important St Patrick’s Athletic Premier Division fixture in between hosting Başakşehir in Tallaght on Thursday and the second leg next Wednesday in Istanbul as the Dublin club bid to reach the lucrative Uefa Conference League group stages.
Progress would be worth at least €3.17 million to the Inchicore club.
Kenny’s squad must travel to Oriel Park on Sunday to play a Dundalk side that sit in the relegation play-off spot, eight points behind St Pat’s.
“This is one of the biggest games in St Patrick’s Athletic’s history, the opportunity to get to the group stages,” said Kenny. “Two games in 5½ days is tight enough, but the fact we’ve actually had a third game inserted into the middle of that against Dundalk is insane.
“To expect the players to put in the greatest performance of their lives in Turkey on Wednesday having already played two games in such a short period is hard to fathom. We’re looking for a decision from the FAI to sort it out, because the provision is there.”
No Turkish team in European competition has a domestic fixture this weekend. Dundalk refused a request to postpone Sunday’s match.
“We are trying to peak,” Kenny continued. “You have to make sure fatigue does not set in, so the introduction of the Dundalk game, how crazy that is.”
Only two Irish clubs, Shamrock Rovers in 2011, 2022 and this year, and Kenny’s Dundalk side in 2016, have reached the group stages of European football. Considering the current funding model for Irish football and the state of prevailing facilities – Richmond Park falls short of Uefa criteria to hold this match – it would be a monumental achievement by St Pat’s to make it three.
Arguably, Kenny finds himself in the most challenging situation of his storied managerial career. After an unsuccessful 40 game period as Ireland manager ended last November, he signed a five-year contract in August to return to the League of Ireland, immediately conceding that St Pat’s do not have a strong enough squad to challenge for domestic honours.
St Pat’s qualified for Europe as the 2023 FAI Cup winners, a feat achieved under current Dundalk manager Jon Daly. The notable 1-0 win over Sabah in Azerbaijan last week brings them to the precipice of six unforgettable European nights with the likes of Fiorentina and Chelsea both potential opposition.
“Only two Irish clubs have ever done this and mainly through winning the league,” Kenny added. “It we do it we will be doing it the hard way. European wins are really, really special and nothing would be more special if the players can go and achieve it.”
Romal Palmer has impressed since arriving on loan from Turkish side Göztepe but Ruairí Keating’s return to Cork City heaps unrealistic expectation on 16-year-old centre forward Mason Melia, who has scored three goals in 26 league appearances.
On paper, St Pat’s have only a slim chance of overcoming Çağdaş Atan’s talented multinational outfit Basaksehir, a club that marked their Champions League debut in 2020 by beating Manchester United.
The Joe Redmond-marshalled defence will struggle to contain Brazilian João Figueiredo and Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek as the pair have combined for nine goals in 12 matches so far this season.
St Pat’s have a medium term ambition of becoming perennial competitors in the group stages of Uefa’s third tier competition but they are unlikely to attain European football in 2025. Derry City knocked them out of the FAI Cup and their current league standing is eight points adrift of third-placed Waterford, in the last Conference qualifier spot.
Tickets for Tallaght’s north stand are still available via St Pat’s website or at the stadium.
St. Patrick's Athletic's European Journey
As Turkish Süper Lig's Başakşehir gear up for their 55th European match against Ireland’s St. Patrick's Athletic in the UEFA Europa Conference League playoff first leg, the Istanbul-based side reflects on their mixed European history.
In their 54 previous European outings, Başakşehir has secured 21 victories, drawn 12 times and suffered 21 defeats, scoring 80 goals while conceding 76.
Under coach Çağdaş Atan, Başakşehir will face their fifth European test.
Atan’s tenure has been flawless so far, with the team winning all four matches he has overseen in European competitions.
In these matches, they have netted 13 goals and conceded just one.
Atan’s European debut saw Başakşehir thrash San Marino’s La Fiorita 6-1 at home and 4-0 away.
In their third European encounter under Atan, Başakşehir defeated Iberia Tbilisi 1-0 in Georgia and 2-0 in Istanbul.
Başakşehir will embark on their 28th European away game against St. Patrick's Athletic.
The team’s away record stands at nine wins, five draws, and 13 losses from 27 matches.
They have scored 37 goals and conceded 47 on the road.
Edin Visca, now with Trabzonspor, remains Başakşehir’s top European scorer with 14 goals.
He is followed by Stefano Okaka and Danijel Aleksic, each with six goals.
Other notable contributors include İrfan Can Kahveci with five goals, Krzysztof Piatek and Berkay Özcan with four each and several players who have scored three or two goals.
Başakşehir first entered European competition in the 2015-16 season but was eliminated in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League by AZ Alkmaar.
Their first breakthrough came in the 2016-17 season when they advanced past Rijeka, a milestone achieved by drawing 0-0 at home and 2-2 away.
The 2017-18 season saw Başakşehir secure their first European victory by overcoming Club Brugge with a 2-0 home win after a 3-3 draw away.
Their first UEFA Europa League last-32 appearance came in the 2019-20 season, followed by reaching the last 16 by defeating Sporting Lisbon.
Başakşehir made their Champions League debut in the 2020-21 season, marking their first win and goal in the competition with a 2-1 victory over Manchester United.
İrfan Can Kahveci also made history by scoring a hat trick against Leipzig.
In the 2022-23 UEFA Conference League, Başakşehir advanced to the Round of 16 after drawing 1-1 with Maccabi Netanya in their opening match.
Their most significant European win came in the 2024-25 season’s second qualifying round, with a 6-1 victory over San Marino's La Fiorita.
The TV Coverage Conundrum
With none of the 20 European ties involving domestic clubs this summer televised on free-to-air, the lack of TV coverage has been a hot topic this week since Shamrock Rovers’ hard-hitting statement on Monday, criticising RTÉ for not showing any of their eight ties as well as a threat to ban the state broadcaster from showing any of their remaining home games this season.
The Irish Independent understands that RTÉ spoke to the FAI last November to inform them that due to financial, scheduling and editorial reasons, they were not in a position to broadcast any European qualifiers this summer. But ahead of his side’s Conference League play-off first leg against Istanbul Basaksehir tonight, the St Patrick’s Athletic boss hit out at it being “strange” that not even Rovers’ Champions League games were televised this year.
“It is hard to believe really. I don’t really accept that it’s the Olympics, that’s a non-argument. There are club games, GAA games, rugby Under-20 games, whatever rights throughout other sports. You know, it’s probably just down to the personal preference of the head of sport in RTÉ,” said Kenny, ahead of this evening’s first leg at Tallaght Stadium (7.45), with over 6,000 tickets sold as of last night.
“I certainly don’t blame Shamrock Rovers. You can understand where they are coming from with that statement. When they are champions, in the Champions League and none of their games have been shown ... it’s strange like in your own country, you’re ... there are words I want to use that I won’t use. But it is strange.
“It’s just a personal preference of the director himself, that seems to be the case. He’s calling the shots, but that’s just what your background is. You connect [to] one sport or another and favour a sport. I don’t know, it’s not just sheer economics I feel.
“The CEO [of Shamrock Rovers] said, if they [RTÉ] don’t want to cover the games, just to let them know. It’s better and we can all move on, rather than just turning up every so often.”
Speaking in 2021 when similar criticisms were levelled at RTÉ over their lack of coverage for League of Ireland clubs in Europe, RTÉ’s head of sport Declan McBennett said: “The idea I am professionally against soccer is quite frankly insulting and also false.
“With the best will in the world, I have a professional integrity which means I put the best sport that is available to us on the TV,” added the Monaghan native in a wide ranging chat with the LOI Central podcast.
“We discuss it with the FAI on an ongoing basis. I’m not going to sit here and say it [future coverage] is going to be more or less, or the same. What I’m saying is that RTÉ has a commitment to domestic soccer and Irish soccer as a whole.
“I believe in the public service remit of RTÉ to cover sports within Ireland. Soccer is a very important sport. I could have reduced the level of commitment if we wanted to, because we would have said there aren’t a list of broadcasters standing at the door ready to take over the League of Ireland. We have made commitments and have discussions with the FAI at the highest level to say we want to back your product, but there are things you need to do.
“The relationship between RTÉ and the FAI is sound, the relationship between RTÉ and the clubs is sound, and the relationship between RTÉ and I would say fair minded fans is perfectly sound. I understand the European argument ... I understand it particularly in the context of the summer that RTÉ Sport had. You can understand it but there comes a point where you don’t cross the line.”
While the Saints target a first ever group stage qualification, the Hoops already have Conference League football in the bag as they face into their Europa League first leg play-off away to Greek champions PAOK this evening (6.30).
With both legs also behind a paywall, Rovers boss Stephen Bradley said: “This is a conversation we’ve had many times. I’m not the only manager, we are not the only club that have spoken about this, now or in the past or in the future. Whatever I say here is not going to change it.”
Facing the Giant
Just shy of €4m can be earned but they face a club that earlier this year became part of the City Football Group. Kenny cited a Manchester City ethos in some of their play but also pointed to the “Atalanta-style” aggression in their play.
They press high, play with speed and have quality through the park.
Poland international Krzysztof Piątek – he scored at Euro 2024 – will lead the line and Saints captain Joe Redmond is relishing the challenge.
“That has really excited me, to hear I’m up against him and how good he is. If you are in there and you are fearing an opponent and not wanting to play against these guys, then there is something wrong,” he said.
“You’ve got to want to play against the top, top players to see what level you are at and test yourself ultimately.”
Greece international Dimitrios Pelkas, who Kenny saw up close with Ireland, is a creative force in midfield and has João Figueiredo and Berkay Özcan in support.
Kenny says that Romal Palmer and Axel Sjoberg will be fully fit after a bout of illness and that his side are primed to continue defying expectations.
“I’m not going to lie to you, I always think things are possible. I always feel that. We knew squad-wise where we were and we still have work to do. We’re seventh in the league and it would ba great reflection on the league and the standard overall if we did get through.
“It’s a big challenge and we must embrace it, be ready for it and adapt to it. It’s a different kind of challenge and we have to be ready.”
