Shamrock Rovers to face AC Milan in Dublin

Serie A giants travel to Dublin but match will be behind closed doors.

Irish football team Shamrock Rovers are to welcome Serie A giants AC Milan to Dublin for a blockbuster European tie on 17 September, however the historic game is set to be played behind closed doors due to covid-19 restrictions.

The Dublin side, known as The Hoops, will face AC Milan in their home ground at Tallaght Stadium in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.

Rovers qualified for the second round following their dramatic 12-11 penalty shootout triumph over Finnish side Ilves on 27 August.

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However the exciting news is offset by the fact that Rovers are prohibited from allowing their supporters to enter the stadium in south Dublin for the landmark game.

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On top of this The Hoops will not receive the huge financial windfall normally associated with hosting a major European team as, in addition to losing out on the chance to pack the 8,000-seater stadium, the home side is only permitted to sell television and other media rights to their home country - not the rest of the world - under new UEFA rules.

Cover image: 1 August 2020: Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks on during the Serie A match between Milan and Cagliari at S. Siro Stadium. Photo credit: FAB / Shutterstock.com.