Northern Ireland set for glamour friendly in June
Espanyol's Stage Front arena is the most likely destination for June's friendly match
Northern Ireland are set for a trip to Spain in June to play a friendly international 17 years on from the last meeting between the sides.
Reports in the Spanish media suggest that Spain will host Michael O’Neill’s side on June 8 one week before they kick-off their Euro 2024 campaign against Croatia in the Berlin Olympic Stadium.
The game has not been officially confirmed by the Irish FA but it is understood negotiations to play the match are at an advanced stage and unless there is a dramatic turnaround the Green and White Army will be heading to sunny Spain later in the year.
According to Spanish media reports possible locations for the friendly include Murcia or Espanyol’s Stage Front stadium in Barcelona.
Northern Ireland are also planning to play one other international in June, prior to the Euro 2024 finals, and the hope is that will be at Windsor Park.
The Irish FA have two other away friendlies arranged for March against Romania and Scotland.
The fixture with Spain will bring back a host of memories, not least from 1982 when Northern Ireland famously defeated the hosts 1-0 in Valencia in the World Cup finals courtesy of a Gerry Armstrong goal.
In 2006 David Healy was the hero scoring a hat-trick in a 3-2 victory at Windsor against a star studded Spanish outfit in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. The most recent encounter between the two nations came in 2007 with Spain winning 1-0 – going on to triumph in the European Championships the following year.
Spain will use the Northern Ireland game as a warm-up for their bid to win this year’s Euros where they will play Croatia, Italy and Albania in the group stages.
In qualifying the Spanish
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