Why are Northern Ireland playing Ukraine in Slovakia?

What the report says

Northern Ireland are set to face Ukraine in the Uefa Nations League at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava, Slovakia, rather than in Ukraine. BBC Sport reports that the fixture is scheduled for Friday, 2 October, and forms part of a crowded international break for Ukraine.

The key reason is the continuing impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has meant Ukraine have been unable to stage home matches in their own country since February 2022. BBC Sport notes that Ukraine have used a range of neutral venues for internationals since then, including stadiums in the Czech Republic, Poland, Spain and Germany. Trnava is already a familiar site for Ukraine, having hosted one of their matches there in 2023.

According to BBC Sport, Uefa allows Ukraine to choose a host venue as long as it meets competition regulations. The Northern Ireland match is Ukraine’s third game in this international window, after a win in Hungary and a trip to Georgia. Ukraine are also due to meet Hungary in Trnava, and later in the autumn they are scheduled to host Georgia there as well.

The article adds that this is not unusual beyond the national team level, as Ukrainian clubs have also continued to play home matches abroad in recent seasons.