Jim McGuinness Critical of League Final Scheduling Despite Donegal’s Strong Position
Ulster Champions Near Final Berth but Face Tough Decisions
Donegal moved to the brink of a Division 1 Football League final with a 1-22 to 1-19 victory over Derry, making it four wins from five outings. However, manager Jim McGuinness is adamant that his team will prioritise what’s best for them rather than blindly chasing silverware.
“We will not be thinking about the league final, we’ll be thinking about what’s right for us – and if that means going into the league final, that will be a consideration when we make those decisions,” McGuinness stated.
“But it won’t be us going, ‘We want to be there and we need to be there.’”
With the Ulster Championship opener against Derry scheduled just a week after a potential league final, McGuinness believes the tight scheduling is harming the competition.
“Diminishing the Competition”
The Donegal boss argued that while Division 1 teams battle to retain their status, many are not fully invested in reaching the final due to its proximity to the championship.
“No, you shouldn’t [be looking to avoid a final],” he said. “I do feel that everyone in Division 1 wants to be in Division 1 and they’re fighting tooth and nail to stay there.
“But I also do believe that maybe 50% of the cohort don’t really want to be in the league final – and I think that does diminish the competition.”
McGuinness recalled past league finals as major occasions, referencing Donegal’s clash with Dublin in 1993, which drew a capacity 55,000 crowd at Croke Park.
“I remember being part of that, it was a brilliant experience, running out in front of a full house in Croke Park for a league final,” he said. “I think it’s disingenuous in many respects to create a format that doesn’t allow people to go after it properly.”
Managers Forced Into Tough Calls
McGuinness acknowledged that his stance could invite criticism if Donegal opt to manage workloads rather than go full tilt for the league title.
“Depending on the decisions we make, it’ll probably come back to me, and the fact that we’re ‘disrespecting the competition’, that we’re putting things into disrepute. But the reality is that myself and every other manager, you have to do the best for your players.”
Travel and fixture congestion are also factors, with McGuinness highlighting how key players like Michael Murphy need careful workload management.
“Michael played today because he didn’t travel last week, it was a home game for him,” he revealed. “All of these things factor in when you’re going on the bounce, on the bounce, on the bounce.”
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🟢🟡 Donegal come back brilliantly in the second half to take home the victory 🙌@officialdonegal 1-22@Doiregaa 1-19#GAANOW #AllianzLeagues pic.twitter.com/idKiU6mXhf
— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 2, 2025
Calls for a More Balanced Calendar
McGuinness believes the GAA needs to find a solution that allows teams to compete fully in both the league and championship without excessive fixture congestion.
“In the new structure, if they do it correctly, there could be two weeks between every game, and hopefully the GAA will be working towards that,” he said.
“Managers shouldn’t be put in a position where they’re playing games – and families going to the games shouldn’t be put in that position as well. This is all a conversation now.
“All I can say is, from our point of view, we will do what’s right for our players.”
