STEPHEN KENNY HAS again vented his frustration with the FAI over St Patrick’s Athletic’s League of Ireland fixture scheduling.
Having hit out at the lack of FAI support earlier this week, Kenny echoed his sentiments after St Pat’s 0-0 draw with Istanbul Basaksehir in the first leg of the Uefa Conference League play-off last night.
On Tuesday, the manager said it was “insane” that St Pat’s must play their Premier Division game with Dundalk this Sunday, in between the historic European play-off.
The return leg is in Istanbul next Wednesday.
St Pat’s submitted a request to the FAI for their Sunday trip to Oriel Park to be re-arranged given the significance of their European commitments, but they were informed that they must fulfill the fixture.
“It’s difficult,” said Kenny after last night’s game at Tallaght Stadium.
“I’m led to believe, and I stand to be corrected, the Turkish League have cancelled all of the games for their European teams this week. They prioritised the teams qualifying for the group stages. If you are serious and ambitious, that is what you do.
“Even with Dundalk [in 2016], we would not have qualified for the group stages, but only [former director] Fran Gavin made the decision to cancel one or two matches for us at that time. That was pivotal for us in qualifying for the group stages.
“They have a rest. We have a game against them in five-and-three-quarter days. We’ll have our boots on at 4.10pm Irish time on Wednesday but we have a game in between. Even apart from the game, preparation time is zero.”
“There is nothing we can do,” the former Republic of Ireland boss continued. “I have made the point and some people view me as some sort of complainer, but I’m not.
“I know more than anyone because I have been involved in more [European] games than anyone as a [League of Ireland] manager. I have been involved in a team that came back from St Petersburg on a Friday and played the cup final on the Sunday. I have been involved in all of those things.
“Once you get to the group, get on with it, that’s what you have to do. But trying to get to the group is very difficult for Irish clubs, especially going through the four rounds, it’s hugely difficult, so you need all the support you can get.”
Kenny confirmed that Romal Palmer will be sidelined “for a few weeks” after the midfielder’s first-half injury, but hailed his replacement Kian Leavy as “terrific”.
“We’re still very much in the tie going to Istanbul for Wednesday’s game,” the Dubliner added.
“We are a little disappointed not to have won it. They are a high quality team and have some tremendous players. I thought my players were brilliant tonight, we were pleased with our display overall.”
- With reporting from David Sneyd.
