UEFA indicated yesterday that a decision to stage Yugoslavia's remaining home games in Group Eight of the European Championships at neutral venues remains an option in the fall out from the Balkans crisis.
They also said that a United Nations embargo on the country would lead to Yugoslavia's expulsion from the competition.
"In 1992, a world-wide ban on Yugoslavia was imposed by the United Nations," said a spokesman. "UEFA had to follow it and dropped the country from the European championship finals.
"Now, as then, the problem is political and out of our control. The only thing we can do is try to get the games played under the best possible conditions, like staging them at a neutral venue, or else keep postponing.
"If there is an embargo on a country, then that country will not be allowed to proceed. But that is pure speculation at the moment.
"The postponed games have been refixed for June and August which is some way ahead. If the situation has not improved by then, however, UEFA will have to take other measures."
The FAI has already said that if Yugoslavia's home fixtures are moved to neutral venues, they will seek to have last November's game in Belgrade rendered null and void and replayed in similar conditions.
Mick McCarthy is warning against the dangers of further postponements causing an even bigger congestion of fixtures towards the end of the year.
"Our programme is already congested enough with two games in June, two in September and the postponed fixture in Macedonia the following month," he said. "But if the two June games have to be put back until the autumn, it will cause untold trouble.
"Can you imagine the problems of having to go to clubs and look for the release of players on five different occasions when the new season in England is only up and running?
"I don't have the definitive answer to the football problems caused by the crisis in the Balkans. What I do know, however, is that if we have to put unfair demands on clubs, it will only toughen their attitudes against international football."
