IN THE wake of the team’s qualification for the European Championship finals, the Republic of Ireland have made it back into the top 20 on Fifa’s world ranking list for the first time in nearly seven years.

Giovanni Trapattoni’s side is up three places to 20th on the list, Ireland’s highest placing since July 2005 when they were at 14th, just one place behind Italy and three behind Germany.

When the Italian took up his current position, at the start of May 2008, the team was 41st on the list. The Republic of Ireland’s group rivals in Poland this summer, Spain, are still rated as the best team in the world while the Italians and Croats have swapped places to stand at eighth and ninth respectively.

The Germans have leapfrogged the Dutch to take second place, while Uruguay and England are unchanged at fourth and fifth respectively. Wales are up to 42nd, Scotland are at 48th and Northern Ireland are up one place to 86th.

The FAI has confirmed that all 20 of the league’s clubs have received the licences they require to compete this season at the first attempt.

Fifteen clubs, the 12 set to play in the top flight plus Athlone Town, Longford Town and Waterford United have been awarded Premier Division licences for the coming season while the remaining five clubs have been given First Division licences.

Cobh Ramblers and Tralee Dynamos – who had applied to play in the First Division but were left to hope that a vacancy might arise since it was decided to proceed with an eight-team league – both failed to get a licence, but can appeal.

It is the first time that no club will have to win an appeal in order to guarantee their place in the division in which they were supposed to compete.