Uefa proposing Croke Park as Europa League final fan zone in Dublin

There are concerns over the Irish city’s ability to cope with the influx of fans, with Liverpool a contender to reach the final and bring thousands of supporters without tickets to soak up the atmosphere

Uefa is talking to Irish authorities about using Croke Park as a spill-off fan zone, as concerns grow over whether Dublin can handle the potential volume of people for the Europa League final.

The 2024 showpiece is set to be held at the 52,000-capacity Aviva Stadium, and there is the possibility of a number of heavily-supported clubs appearing, above all Liverpool.

West Ham and Rangers could also make a run at the final, although Brighton face a mountain to climb with a 4-0 deficit against Roma after the first leg in the last 16.

The Giallorossi, alongside AC Milan and Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen, are the main contenders behind Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.

The Europa League final could be one of Klopp's last games, which would bring a huge influx of fans, to combine with Liverpool's historic Irish support.

It is already immensely difficult to book a hotel in Dublin, but there are now worries about where potentially hundreds of thousands of fans could be hosted.

Uefa has consequently been speaking to the Irish authorities about using Croke Park as a grand-scale fan zone but there are concerns even that might not be enough.

The draw for the quarter-finals of the competition is set for Friday.