PARIS, LIVERPOOL, BRUSSELS, Bursa, Tehran, Tallinn and now Zenica.
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s fourth largest city tonight becomes the latest addition to the list of locations Ireland’s international football team has visited in a bid to clinch qualification to a major tournament via the dreaded play-offs.
Situated 70km north-west of the capital, Zenica’s shortage of accommodation options has seen the vast majority of Irish fans and the travelling press corps stay in Sarajevo and taxi it back and forth — although Martin O’Neill’s squad did manage to reserve one of the few hotels next to the ground.
And while that means a two-hour round trip for the pre-match press conference and the game itself, the upside is that we’ve been given the opportunity to visit a city steeped in history. It was only after I had crossed Latin Bridge over the River Miljacka yesterday that I was informed of its significance.
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On 28 June, 1914, as Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were being driven along the river bank in an open-top car, both were assassinated. Their murders are widely accepted as the event which triggered the start of World War I and a plaque on the bridge marks the site where it took place.
Sadly, in much more recent times, Sarajevo has been devastated by far greater atrocities as it felt the full force of the Bosnian War during the early 1990s. 97,207 lives were claimed in total during the three-year siege and many of the buildings remain riddled with bullet holes as a chilling reminder.
Just around the corner from our hotel in the city’s Stari Grad, or old town, you would be forgiven for thinking you had somehow found your way to Istanbul as the narrow alleys of the Baščaršija, a bazaar which is filled with tiny shops owned by craftsmen and traders, dates back as far as the 15th century.
Jerseys in the blue of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the red of Roma hang from stalls with the name of Edin Dzeko, the country’s star player and captain, plastered across the shoulders. A couple of tricolours were also spotted along the busier bar streets.
Caused by coal fires, heavy traffic pollution and industrial factories, a thick smog envelops both Sarajevo and neighbouring Zenica for much of the day and, for parts of our drive from the latter to the former, you couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of the car.
It reminds me of Dublin in the 80s,” suggested one colleague.
Although it’s three times smaller than the nearby Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Bilino Polje Stadium has been chosen to host tonight’s game as it’s well-loved by the players and fans who believe they can create a greater atmosphere and pick up better results there.
The home of NK Čelik, the general capacity of 15,600 has been cut to 11,500 by Uefa regulations, with the FAI getting their hands on 880 tickets. As you would expect, it’s not hugely impressive and reminds me of a slightly larger Dalymount Park.
When it comes to play-offs, Ireland’s statistics don’t make for particularly pleasant reading. From seven attempts, they’ve gone through just twice — against Iran (2002 World Cup) and Estonia (Euro 2012). But past results are of no concern to the current manager, who has called on his players to leave nothing out on the pitch this evening.
“If you make it (via the play-offs), players and managers will tell you there is no better way,” O’Neill said last night. “We’re here and we’ve got to give it everything. We can’t leave anything behind us and I think that is the mood of the players.
“The most important thing is still being in the tie with a chance of victory on Monday night. We talked about an away goal, that would be great, and naturally we want to just thrust everything into the game. While you can’t win it here, you don’t want to lose the tie here either.”
Letter from Zenica: Ireland aim to deliver at Bosnia's 'slightly larger Dalymount Park'
Ben Blake reports from Bosnia-Herzegovina
PARIS, LIVERPOOL, BRUSSELS, Bursa, Tehran, Tallinn and now Zenica.
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s fourth largest city tonight becomes the latest addition to the list of locations Ireland’s international football team has visited in a bid to clinch qualification to a major tournament via the dreaded play-offs.
Situated 70km north-west of the capital, Zenica’s shortage of accommodation options has seen the vast majority of Irish fans and the travelling press corps stay in Sarajevo and taxi it back and forth — although Martin O’Neill’s squad did manage to reserve one of the few hotels next to the ground.
And while that means a two-hour round trip for the pre-match press conference and the game itself, the upside is that we’ve been given the opportunity to visit a city steeped in history. It was only after I had crossed Latin Bridge over the River Miljacka yesterday that I was informed of its significance.
On 28 June, 1914, as Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were being driven along the river bank in an open-top car, both were assassinated. Their murders are widely accepted as the event which triggered the start of World War I and a plaque on the bridge marks the site where it took place.
Sadly, in much more recent times, Sarajevo has been devastated by far greater atrocities as it felt the full force of the Bosnian War during the early 1990s. 97,207 lives were claimed in total during the three-year siege and many of the buildings remain riddled with bullet holes as a chilling reminder.
Just around the corner from our hotel in the city’s Stari Grad, or old town, you would be forgiven for thinking you had somehow found your way to Istanbul as the narrow alleys of the Baščaršija, a bazaar which is filled with tiny shops owned by craftsmen and traders, dates back as far as the 15th century.
Jerseys in the blue of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the red of Roma hang from stalls with the name of Edin Dzeko, the country’s star player and captain, plastered across the shoulders. A couple of tricolours were also spotted along the busier bar streets.
Caused by coal fires, heavy traffic pollution and industrial factories, a thick smog envelops both Sarajevo and neighbouring Zenica for much of the day and, for parts of our drive from the latter to the former, you couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of the car.
Although it’s three times smaller than the nearby Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Bilino Polje Stadium has been chosen to host tonight’s game as it’s well-loved by the players and fans who believe they can create a greater atmosphere and pick up better results there.
The home of NK Čelik, the general capacity of 15,600 has been cut to 11,500 by Uefa regulations, with the FAI getting their hands on 880 tickets. As you would expect, it’s not hugely impressive and reminds me of a slightly larger Dalymount Park.
When it comes to play-offs, Ireland’s statistics don’t make for particularly pleasant reading. From seven attempts, they’ve gone through just twice — against Iran (2002 World Cup) and Estonia (Euro 2012). But past results are of no concern to the current manager, who has called on his players to leave nothing out on the pitch this evening.
“If you make it (via the play-offs), players and managers will tell you there is no better way,” O’Neill said last night. “We’re here and we’ve got to give it everything. We can’t leave anything behind us and I think that is the mood of the players.
“The most important thing is still being in the tie with a chance of victory on Monday night. We talked about an away goal, that would be great, and naturally we want to just thrust everything into the game. While you can’t win it here, you don’t want to lose the tie here either.”
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