UEFA reserve Croke Park amid fears of Liverpool vs Rangers Europa League final

Croke Park has been reserved by UEFA as a backup venue for the Europa League final in May due to concerns about a potential match between Liverpool and Rangers.

The final is scheduled to take place at the Aviva Stadium, which can hold 50,000 people, on Wednesday, May 22. However, UEFA is worried that even the larger capacity of Croke Park, which can hold 82,300 spectators, might not be enough if ticketless fans want to watch the game on big screens.

Dublin is close to both Glasgow and Liverpool, so if the Reds and Rangers were to reach the final, tens of thousands of fans without tickets could descend on the city, reports Belfast Live. Liverpool are almost certain to reach the quarter-finals after they beat Sparta Prague 5-1 in the first leg last Thursday.

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Meanwhile, Rangers are in a good position to reach the last eight after they drew 2-2 with Benfica. The second leg will be played at Ibrox on Thursday night.

UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis has confirmed that Croke Park is "already reserved" for the Europa League final, should Liverpool make it. This was also confirmed by a GAA spokesperson, who added that the booking depends on Liverpool's progress in the competition.

On May 19, just three days before the final, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are set to perform at Croke Park. The venue is also likely to host games in the All-Ireland football round robin series from late May to early June.

Despite this, large screens will be set up on the pitch for fans to watch the game from the stands, which shouldn't cause too much