FORMER IRELAND ASSISTANT coach Liam Brady says the players and staff were unaware that Fifa paid €5m to the FAI in the wake of the Paris handball controversy.

The RTÉ pundit was part of Giovanni Trapattoni’s backroom team for the campaign that ended in play-off disappointment in the French capital thanks to Thierry Henry’s handball and William Gallas’ finish.

But Brady insists Trap and the players were oblivious to the deal.

“It’s kind of mind-boggling isn’t it?” he said on Morning Ireland today. “I knew they were under pressure to compensate us somehow after the incident in November 2009 but I didn’t realise that the FAI got as much money as they did. Certainly no staff, none of the players knew about it at the time.”

He continued: “I think Fifa are saying it was a loan to do with the Aviva Stadium from what I can gather but John Delaney is telling a different story and I’m sure this story will go on and on.”

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