Gavin Cooney

FAI CHIEF EXECUTIVE Jonathan Hill says Stephen Kenny is likely to remain in situ as Ireland manager until November, even if this week’s window against Greece and Gibraltar goes awry. 

Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualification hopes are effectively dead, having lost four of their first five games in a fiendishly tough group. Hopes of getting a play-off through the Nations League are receding too, with a series of shock results across Europe leaving Ireland’s backdoor odds at roughly 10/1. 

Ireland’s campaign ends away to the Netherlands in November, with the final matchnight – a bye for Ireland in a five-team group – filled with a friendly game against New Zealand. Kenny’s contract lapses at the end of the campaign, and Hill says the FAI will allow him see it out. 

Asked whether anything could happen over the following two games to change the FAI’s stance on that, Hill replied, “No, I don’t think so. We’re committed to that process of reviewing the whole of the qualification process in November.” 

Meanwhile, the FAI are hoping to have a permanent successor to Vera Pauw announced before the end of the year. A 12-person longlist has been drawn up, which will then be trimmed to a three-person shortlist. Eileen Gleeson is doing the role on an interim basis, and will oversee the rest of the Nations League campaign, which will end away to Northern Ireland on 5 December. 

“Ideally we’d have it done before the end of the year”, said Hill. “Obviously in relation to notice periods, we’d then see when someone can start but we’d like to be able to announce as soon as possible after the final Nations League game.” 

Another major piece of business to be completed before the end of the year is the meeting of a government-mandated quota for at least 40% female representation on the FAI board. The FAI face a cut of more than €5 million in State funding if they can’t add at least one more female director to its board by the end of this year. All proposed nominees to the board for the forthcoming AGM were male, however, to which the FAI responded by postponing the AGM and introducing an EGM at which a rule change will be put to a vote to allow that gender balance will be met. The FAI have not yet said what that rule change will be, but Hill confirmed that one of the options being looked at is increasing the number of directors on the board. 

“It’s absolutely critical”, said Hill of the FAI’s need to meet the target. “The government have made it very clear to us that the current €5.8m funding we get from government is dependant on us having 40 percent female gender balance on the board. We will do everything we can to ensure we will get to that 40 percent gender balance at the AGM.” 

“It’s up to us within the game in Ireland to make sure to put the structures in place to allow us going forward to have a pool of people who would be available and willing to take up those rules”, added FAI president Gerry McAnaney.