Ireland will “set a benchmark” for hosting the NFL in Europe if Dublin is given the chance to be the latest non-US city to hold a regular season game.
Munich hosted the fourth NFL regular season game in Germany on Sunday when the Carolina Panthers beat the New York Giants 20-17 in overtime. Berlin now wants to join the Bavarian capital and Frankfurt in holding match-ups.
NFL games have long taken place in London while Sao Paulo was added to the international line-up earlier this year and Madrid is due to join next season, with Mexico City also due to resume hosting duties.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters over the weekend in Munich that Dublin was under consideration for hosting a game either at soccer/rugby’s Aviva Stadium or at Croke Park, home of Gaelic football and hurling. NFL owners have given the green light for the NFL to hold eight games abroad each season.
Michael McQuaid from the podcast and website Pro Football Ireland – the country’s main media hub for American Football – told dpa on Monday: “I really feel like Ireland will embrace an NFL international game, with over 10% of Americans that identify with an Irish American background and with NFL fans in Ireland, the UK and Europe.”
London first started hosting NFL regular season games in 2007, with Wembley, Twickenham and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium all being used.
But McQuaid think the passion of the Irish could rival London’s strong NFL connection.
“Dublin is already a hub for international travel with the United States and Europe. And I believe that this game. if it happens, will be one of many in the future. I believe Dublin will set a benchmark for the league in Europe,” he said.
The Munich game, another 70,000 sell-out, was particularly successful for Panthers kicker Eddy Piñeiro, whose 36-yard field goal in overtime cliched the win.
The 29-year-old, whose father is Cuban and playing professional soccer in the US, had two emotional reasons for revelling in his performance at the home of soccer side Bayern Munich.
“Since I was a little kid, I’ve always wanted to be a professional soccer player, but it’s mostly more for my dad,” Piñeiro told panthers.com.
“My dad had a chance to come to Germany (and play soccer) and he didn’t take it because he had me and my sister. So, it was a dream for him.”
Piñeiro’s father could not fly to Munich to watch his son after suffering a serious heart attack a couple of weeks ago. His health is now improving.