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Shamrock Rovers' squad, ahead of a previous European tie against Hibernians of Malta. Evan Treacy/INPHO

Shamrock Rovers' European opponents vow to avenge the 'evil' of being forced to fly via Shannon Airport

Shkupi of North Macedonia have slammed the Irish government, describing the failure to fly via Dublin as a ‘cheap game that has no place in football.’

SHAMROCK ROVERS’ EUROPA League opponents, Shkupi of North Macedonia, have today published a dramatic statement vowing to avenge the “evil” of being forced to travel to the game via Shannon airport. 

As is generally custom, Shkupi travelled to today’s game in Tallaght via a charter plane, but were forced to fly into Shannon rather than Dublin airport. 

This exercised the club to the point they have now released a statement complaining of their treatment, questioning whether the same would happen a higher-ranked side, citing the fact Ludogorets of Bulgaria were able to fly via Dublin for their tie against Rovers last week. 

Shkupi ask the Irish government to intervene and arrange a return flight from Dublin, and have also fired a warning shot at Rovers, saying their detour has fostered an anger which will show itself on the field. They describe their route via Shannon as “cheap games” which “should have not a place in football”, saying they will not “bow down” and will respond “like lions on the field.” 

Their statement is inaccurate in a couple of respects: it exaggerates the distance between Dublin and Shannon, while a number of clubs have been affected by staffing issues at Dublin airport in recent weeks. Rovers themselves had to fly via Shannon for their first qualifying round game in Malta against Hibernians, and they couldn’t source a charter flight at all for their subsequent game away to Ludogorets in Bulgaria. St Patrick’s Athletic, meanwhile, flew to their tie against CSKA Sofia via Knock. Pat’s opponents in the previous round, Mura of Slovenia, were also forced to take a charter flight via Knock. 

“Our team is being interfered with by making small plays in such an unbecoming manner”, read the Shkupi statement. “Despite our budget, we were trying to keep our players comfortable by hiring a charter plane and paying thousands of euros to ensure that our players could make it to the Europa League in good health, but the Irish government did not listen to Uefa. Despite the intervention of Uefa, landed us 300 km away from Dublin and gave our team an undeserved treatment on this journey. 

“Likewise, after the match, [the government] will send it back 300 km and fly it from there. Unfortunately, this has not been done to any other team except the North Macedonia team, our loneliness has emerged again as we progressed on the European road.

“I beg your North Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that we should at least arrange for tonight’s return to Dublin. In addition, we would like to say to the Irish that they should know well that we have a very characterful team.

“The reward of being a team is to respond as a team to the evil done to you in the same way, today our team will show you what a character it is, like lions on the field, it will show that there is no team that will not bow down to such cheap games, such cheap games should not have a place in football, they should not go unpunished.

“You only landed FC Shkupi at the airport, but you landed PFC Ludogorets in Dublin, could you treat us the same if any Italian, Spanish, German or English team showed up? We hope that our government will respond to this situation, with my respect to the public.” 

Rovers’ face Shkupi at Tallaght Stadium tonight, with kick-off at 8pm. The return leg in North Macedonia takes place next Tuesday, for which Rovers have secured a charter flight. There is not enough staff at Dublin airport to facilitate a return flight immediately after the game, so Rovers plan to stay Tuesday night and return to Belfast on Wednesday, as they have a league game away to Derry City on the Friday night. 

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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    Aug 4th 2022, 3:07 PM

    Believe me lads you’ve had a result avoiding Dublin airport

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    Mute Kevin
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    Aug 4th 2022, 3:48 PM

    Funniest part of this story is the actual idea of the Irish government doing anything to help league of ireland teams in any way at all. They’re too worried about upsetting their gaa voters.

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    Mute James Lyons
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    Aug 4th 2022, 11:12 PM

    @Kevin: Michael Martin laughing his head off In Tallaght stadium tonight knowing he got inside their heads. (In truth he probably hasn’t even got a clue Rovers are playing)

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    Mute Sandra Molloy
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    Aug 4th 2022, 3:13 PM

    At least their gearbags will arrive!

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    Mute James Lough
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    Aug 4th 2022, 4:03 PM

    @Sandra Molloy: bunch of premadonnas – you’d think it was Brazil arriving

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    Mute Stephen O'Neill
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    Aug 4th 2022, 6:03 PM

    @Sandra Molloy: loads of gearbags in Tallaght anyway

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    Mute Karl Keane
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    Aug 4th 2022, 6:08 PM

    @Stephen O’Neill: haha!

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    Mute The Logic
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    Aug 4th 2022, 3:14 PM

    Hope Rovers destroy these lads tonight

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    Mute James Lough
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    Aug 4th 2022, 4:04 PM

    @The Logic: hear! hear!

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    Mute LFC_MAD94
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    Aug 4th 2022, 3:04 PM

    Boo hoo

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    Mute Peter
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    Aug 4th 2022, 3:12 PM

    Must have very little hope if they think this will affect the game in anyway. What a load of …

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    Mute Tricksy
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    Aug 4th 2022, 3:49 PM

    Families often have to to land in Dublin instead of the Airport they flew from coming back from foreign holidays , what’s disruptive to the team is the management making an issue out of it in a public manner .

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    Mute Mr Jerry Curtin
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    Aug 4th 2022, 3:21 PM

    Shkupi of North Macedonia sound like Bohs to be honest. FFS

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    Mute Ciarán O' Donoghue
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    Aug 4th 2022, 5:24 PM

    @Mr Jerry Curtin: Pull yourself together you.

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    Mute Jake Kelly
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    Aug 4th 2022, 7:27 PM

    I’m sorry but there’s nothing about this story that I don’t find hilarious. Vowing vengence for having to experience Shannon Airport

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    Mute Tommy Bohan
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    Aug 4th 2022, 3:50 PM

    Typical Eastern Europeans, so unlikeable.

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    Mute lelookcoco
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    Aug 4th 2022, 4:08 PM

    @Tommy Bohan: A bit of a sweeping statement there Tommy.

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    Mute Tommy Bohan
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    Aug 4th 2022, 4:42 PM

    @lelookcoco: Not ALL Eastern European are like that but it’s a bit rich coming from them, diving and other types of gamesmanship is part of the culture. That’s my opinion.

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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    Aug 4th 2022, 4:45 PM

    @Tommy Bohan: jaysus tommy have you watched football in western Europe at all?

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    Mute Tommy Bohan
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    Aug 4th 2022, 4:51 PM

    @Brian Dunne: Obviously I have! And there are a lot of shenanagans going on there also, but is much worse in Eastern Europe, it’s just the culture. I follow athletics a lot, there are still many world records (particularly in womens) from the 1980′s, all from Eastern Europeans. Cheating was rampant then, things have improved but still the culture of cheating exists for some.

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    Mute Kevin Maughan
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    Aug 4th 2022, 5:54 PM

    As Fr Noel Furlong would say:

    “I’m putting you on my list of enemies! You’re in for it now Rovers!”

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    Mute Richard Ahern
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    Aug 4th 2022, 7:58 PM

    @Kevin Maughan: Brilliant :-)

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    Mute Fergal McDonagh
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    Aug 4th 2022, 5:22 PM

    Victim complex.
    Kinda sad really.

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    Mute Sean
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    Aug 4th 2022, 8:11 PM

    Obviously trying to get their team psyched up by pretending they were massively disrespected. Coach up from Shannon you’d be in Tallaght in under two hours. They are not Real Madrid!

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    Mute Ronnie Smith
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    Aug 4th 2022, 6:05 PM

    All northsiders are the same!!!!

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Aug 4th 2022, 9:59 PM

    @Ronnie Smith: not to mention Culchies

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    Mute Fergal McDonagh
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    Aug 5th 2022, 4:27 AM

    @Tony Doyle: and German sausage makers; they’re the würst

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    Mute Stephen O'Neill
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    Aug 4th 2022, 6:04 PM

    ROVERS MUST BE PUNISHED FOR THIS SATANIC ACT OF HELL

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    Mute Genera L Consensus
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    Aug 4th 2022, 8:56 PM

    Snowflakes FC

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    Mute Seamus Maye
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    Aug 4th 2022, 9:31 PM

    1] of 2] While this inane outburst from Shkupi undermines the credibility of the Club, its ironic though, that Shamrock Rovers (Shams) is the target of the complaint. Shams have always had an unfair edge in Irish football. Back in the late 1980′s the Club was betrayed by the Kilcoyne family, when Glenmalure Park (Milltown) was sold to satisfy greed.

    The Club travelled from location to location without putting in the amazing groundwork that other LoI Clubs did to own, develop and operate their own Clubs. Eventually, Government (through Dublin Co. Co.) gifted Shams a soft lease on Tallaght Stadium, a brand new state of the art 8000 seater stadium. Nice work if you can get it, while other Clubs were left to die or survive on incredible levels of volunteerism.

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    Mute Seamus Maye
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    Aug 4th 2022, 9:32 PM

    @Seamus Maye: Going back to the 1978 FAI Cup Final between Shams and Sligo Rovers, when the great Johnny Giles was brought back to manage Shams and Ray Treacy came home to play for Shams, it was vital (for the future of the LoI) that Shams won!!

    Aided and abetted by crooked referee John Carpenter, Shams were awarded a penalty for an alleged foul that occurred well outside (to the right) of the penalty area. Allegedly, Shams’ Steve Lynex (brought over by Giles), was fouled. National hero Ray Treacy stepped up to convert the false penalty and the ‘great’ Shams robbed the all volunteer Sligo Rovers of a first FAI Cup win.

    So in a perverse way, the stupid statement from Shkupi rings true…..life goes on.

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    Mute Shane Lad
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    Aug 4th 2022, 7:22 PM

    Getting the excuses in early for when rovers hammer them

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    Mute Terry Fagan VO
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    Aug 4th 2022, 5:41 PM

    Go out and hammer them!

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Aug 4th 2022, 10:24 PM

    Could of been a lot worse if they landed in Cork and a Macedonian driver getting directions from a true Corkconian

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