If you thought the atmosphere for Ireland’s Euro 2016 games against Sweden and Belgium were good, you’ve not seen or heard anything yet.
Ireland take on Italy in Lille this evening (at 8pm British time) knowing that a win is the only option for Martin O’Neill’s men.
Ahead of the game there was some confusion about whether or not Uefa would give the go-ahead to closing the roof for the match. Conditions underfoot are ropey, to say the least, and the inclement weather in the region would not help matters.
And so it goes that Ireland will now play Italy under a closed roof in order to make sure the game can go ahead – not a situation many of us would have expected would be needed for a game to be played in France in June.
BREAKING: We can confirm that the roof in Lille will remain closed for #ITAIRL. An incredible atmosphere awaits! pic.twitter.com/sswzTGTJxt
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) June 22, 2016
Thousands of Irish fans are already in Lille and will pile into the stadium for the evening kick-off. The travelling supporters have already earned praise from locals, opposition fans and the Irish team.
As a sample of what tonight’s atmosphere could be like, Ireland’s rugby players took on Italy in an enclosed stadium – Dundein’s ‘Glasshouse’ – at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Many of the Irish players that featured in that fateful game have described the atmosphere as the best they ever played in.
The closed roof helps to amplify the noise of the crowd, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned about the Irish from Euro 2016 it’s that they’re not afraid to make a bit if noise.
