UEFA delegate says Casement 'nice plot of land but lot to do' as they visit Casement Park
A UEFA delegate has commented that Casement Park is a "nice plot of land, but a lot to do" during a visit to stadium site.
A delegation from the governing body of European football attended the derelict stadium in Belfast on Wednesday.
A redeveloped Casement Park is due to host matches in the 2028 European Championships, however the project has run into difficulties.
The site of Casement Park in west Belfast has laid unused since 2014.
The project has been delayed by a series of planning disputes and legal challenges and the estimated costs have spiralled to at least double the original figure, with some suggesting the bill could exceed £200million.
The stadium is one of the venues selected to host matches in the Euro 2028 football tournament, which is being jointly hosted by the UK and Ireland.
But the site is currently derelict and there remains significant uncertainty around whether the plan to build a 34,000-capacity venue can be completed in time for the tournament.
The stadium would need to be finished by the summer of 2027 to be formally approved as a host venue.
A UEFA delegation visited the site on Wednesday, inspecting the stadium and surrounding land.
Speaking as he was leaving a nearby meeting, one UEFA delegate told UTV Casement Park was "a nice plot of land", but that, there is "a lot of work to do."
The precise breakdown for the funding of the Casement Park rebuild has yet to be agreed.
The Irish Government last week pledged 50million euro (£42.7 million) for the stadium and the UK Government is facing calls to stump up the necessary shortfall to ensure it is built on time.
The Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton Harris did "guarantee" the stadium would get the funding and would be built.
The GAA has also been under pressure to increase its original £15m commitment, given the initial project cost has soared in the last decade.
GAA star and former Armagh gaelic football star Jarlath Burns said he was against any increase on, "a point of principle", given the breakdown of the previous plan for a national stadium at the Maze in Lisburn.
Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, responding to questions about Casement Park, told a House of Commons debate on Monday evening: “We need to see a proper business case with a full statement of the costs which are involved.
“Clearly there have been inflation in the costs; we now need to see what the full bill would be.”
An Irish FA spokesperson said in a statement, "We are delighted to host UEFA in Belfast for a EURO 2028 technical visit and look forward to further engagement in the coming period."
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