SOCCER
Dublin is on the brink of relinquishing its status as a host city for Euro 2020.
The FAI has informed UEFA today that it cannot guarantee spectator numbers for the Aviva Stadium.
It’s believed European football’s governing body wants stadiums to be able to operate at 25 per cent capacity.
The Aviva is due to host four matches, starting with the Group E meeting of Poland and Slovakia on June 14th.
A final decision on all host cities is due later in the month.
The Scottish FA have confirmed they'll allow Hampden Park to be a quarter full, hosting around 12-thousand people for their matches.
Wembley will have at least 10-thousand fans in attendance for the group games, with a minimum of 40-thousand supporters for the semis and final.
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The Republic Of Ireland have fallen five places in the latest Fifa World Rankings.
Stephen Kennys side are now in 47th position, their lowest ranking in more than six years. Mo Slaahs Egypt are 1 spot ahead in 46th while Northern Ireland are 1 place lower than Ireland in 48th.
The top five are unchanged, with Belgium top ahead of France in second, Brazil third, England fourth and Portugal fifth.
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Seville is the venue for the first leg of Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final with Porto.
The Portuguese champions are the nominal home team for tonight’s match.
The blues lost 5-2 to West Brom at the weekend. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel feels the shock defeat will help his squad regain their focus.
Elsewhere, defending champions Bayern Munich welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Allianz Arena.
Both games kick-off at 8.
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Kevin De Bruyne will complete a decade at Manchester City.
The Belgian playmaker has signed a two-year extension at the Premier League leaders, keeping him at the Etihad until 2025.
De Bruyne joined City from Wolfsburg in 2015.
GAELIC GAMES
The Kerry Senior Ladies Football team now know their opponents for the upcoming League campaign.
The Kingdom are in Division 2A where they will face All-Ireland Intermediate Champions Meath, Clare and Wexford.
Three rounds of group fixtures will be played on consecutive weekends with Round 1 pencilled in for the 23rd of May.
The semi-finals are scheduled for June 13 with a 2 week break before the finals on the 27th of June.
Dates are set for a Sunday but may be played midweek or Saturday by agreement with both counties.
The confirmed fixtures will be announced in due course.
RUGBY
The IRFU hopes the return of fans in time for next year’s Six Nations will prevent any further redundancies.
Up to 20 members of staff in administrative and performance roles are to be laid off in both voluntary and compulsory redundancies.
The IRFU Annual Report for 2020, released in October, revealed that they had run a deficit of €35 million.
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Munster are trying desperately to hold onto their senior coach Stephen Larkham, according to reports this morning.
The Australian, who signed a three-year contract at Thomond Park when he arrived in 2019, is wanted by the Waratahs in his home country.
Munster exited the Champions Cup on Saturday after a 40-33 defeat to French giants Toulouse.
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SNOOKER
Antrim teenager Robbie McGuigan leads Mitchell Man by 3-frames to 2 in their first round World Championship qualifier.
Earlier, Fergal O’Brien beat Tyrone’s Fergal Quinn 6-4.
While Cork’s Aaron Hill was beaten 6-4 by Ashley Hugill.
Meanwhile; organisers of the World Championship have confirmed they plan to have a full capacity crowd for the final in May.
The number of fans allowed into the Crucible in Sheffield will gradually increase as the tournament progresses.
Everyone that does attend must take a Covid-19 test and wear a face mask.
The first round starts a week on Saturday.
GOLF
Next month's French Open has been postponed due to coronavirus restrictions in the country.
It's hoped the European Tour event can be moved to later in the year.
The tournament was due to take place at the Le Golf National just outside of Paris between the 6th and 9th of May.
Rory McIlroy says he's thinking longer term than just trying to win a first Masters title this week.
Victory at Augusta would see him complete golf's 'Grand Slam' of four major titles.
But after dropping down to 12th in the world rankings, following 16 months without success, the former number one insists that's not his sole aim:
McIlroy visited Tiger Woods at his house, a visit which he says has given him a fresh perspective.
15-time major champion Woods is continuing to recover after from injuries he suffered in a car accident in February.
McIlroy learned a lot from Woods…
