UCD’s chance of European Place in 2015

UCD AFC’s path to a Europa League place
UCD AFC have an excellent chance of competing in the first round qualifying of the UEFA Europa League in 2015 by taking one of the UEFA Fair Play spots allocated each year to the top three National Associations who finish highest on UEFA Fair Play list for International teams.

For one of these three Fair Play clubs to qualify for the Europa League every year, two things need to happen. An individual club needs to be the representative of their National Association (NA) on a Fair Play league table calculated through the domestic season. Then secondly, the top three NAs from a UEFA managed Fair Play ranking list, based on Fair Play scores in International competitive matches (Senior down to Under-age level) are chosen for the Europa League 1st qual. rd. Draw in June.

UCD AFC are the FAI choice and an interim UEFA ranking list put IRL in first place with a small number of International matches to go.

For a more detailed look at each choice including links to UEFA.com documents read on……
The Domestic choice
Every season, during the domestic club season every competitive match is allocated points based on UEFA’s Fair Play criteria. 1. Red and yellow cards, 2. Positive Play, 3. Respect of the opponent, 4. Respect of the Referee 5. Behaviour of Team Officials 6. Behaviour of the crowd.
UEFA Europa league Rule book, Annex V, page 62(it’s not a very long section).

UCD have done well in the past and sometimes have even topped the Airtricity League’s list, but more often than not other clubs notably Cork City have done well both competitively and through the Fair Play criteria, but because those successful clubs qualified for Europe through the Premier Division or winning the FAI Ford Cup, UCD AFC benefited and became Fair Play representatives of the FAI. And so it proved again in 2014 when Dundalk and Cork City finished 1st and 2nd in the Premier Division and the Fair Play table. Under FP rules the next available club on the FP list qualifies as the NAs representatives. So like in previous years UCD AFC accept the challenge FP reps. Since last November, the position has been known and it’s not a new situation at the club.

UEFA Fair Play ranking list: There is a change this year……
UEFA publish an interim ranking of their NA list in early January every year, where the top three NAs are invited to send a club representative to the Europa League. In the past Rep. of Ireland (IRL) have come out between 7th and 12th, with England and Scandinavian countries especially Norway carving up the top four places and most countries end up in the same position on a the cut-off date for UEFA’s FP season 01st May.

Well this year, the UEFA’s interim ranking list came out and IRL was sitting on top with 8.235 ahead of Netherlands and England with Finland 8.122 back in fourth place The interim rankings (31st December 2014)

A UEFA article can be seen Irish, Dutch and English head Fair Play Rankings
(two extra criteria for the rankings the three countries to qualify must have played over 30 International games and an average score above 8.000).

So IRL would have to fall a long way with very few more matches left before the May 01st deadline.

Next Article:UEFA Fair Play 2015 – What more has to happen……..

Previous UCDSupporters Blog Fair Play article (May 2013):UEFA Fair Play 2012-13