THE FAI BELIEVE that the appointment of former Netherlands coach Vera Pauw as Ireland Women’s National Team [WNT] manager is a “statement by the Association”.

Pauw was unveiled at a press conference at Abbotstown this afternoon, with FAI High Performance Director, Ruud Dokter, and Interim General Manager, Noel Mooney, sitting by her side for her first media duties on these shores.

It was Dokter who first reached out to the ex-Dutch boss, his former captain, in fact, with a meeting in Frankfurt then arranged to get the ball rolling.

And now, after Colin Bell’s surprise departure in late June, the Girls in Green finally have a new manager following their Euro 2021 qualifying campaign opening win over Montenegro at Tallaght Stadium last night.

“We’re very proud and honoured to have Vera on board here,” Dokter said this afternoon.

“Vera has a track record and is very experienced in managing national teams; she coached Scotland for six years, the Netherlands for six years, was with Russia and with South Africa.

“More importantly she left a legacy in every nation she was in, the teams improved. She has a track record in developing the women’s game.

I can honestly say the success of the women’s team in Holland is due to this lady here next to me. She was the driving force behind the development of women’s football in Holland. It took them 30 years to be European champions and it paid off.

“She has a huge knowledge of how to develop the game. She will be a huge support to Sue [Ronan] to further develop women’s football in Ireland, which is a high priority, obviously.

“She has great experience as a player. I was a lucky coach to have her as the captain of my team, centre back. 89 caps, the first professional player from Holland to play in Italy. Her personality is a great match to Ireland. That makes her the perfect candidate for the role.”

In the light of all the difficulties in the FAI of late, Mooney stressed that this was a statement appointment.

“There’s a lot of work streams going on, as you know,” he responded. “Making sure that our national team get the best coach that we possibly could get is just one of those, but it’s a big one. 

“I know some people may have got a little bit frustrated because we didn’t have a manager in place before the first match, but we were really clear-headed in this process that we wanted the very best for the women’s national team particularly in light of us hoping to qualify for the Euros in England in 2021.

Yes, it is a statement by the association and it’s one that we think sends out that message that we want the best for our women’s national team. But also below that, we want the best for the women’s game in the national league and at grassroots level.

Mooney added that the players were informed of their new manager last night, and that they were “pretty engaged in the process throughout”.

Just watching their reaction as Pauw was unveiled, he said they were “thrilled to have someone of the calibre and nature of Vera, and her reputation” take charge.

“She’s a pioneer of football around the world,” Mooney echoed Dokter’s sentiments.

I was just so happy to stand in front of them with Vera and Ruud last night and to say the FAI delivered. When you really wanted us to deliver, we did deliver for Irish football. We delivered for you, and we believe in you.

“It’s not just Vera, I think what you will see over the next few months is the FAI continuing to evolve our support for the Women’s National Team, the National League and for grassroots in lots of different ways. We’re working furiously in the background to ensure that the women’s game here is super supported.

“We’re on the right track. This statement today is one we’re very happy with and we just hope it leads to qualification.”

Mooney concluded on the process itself, and the result: “It probably wasn’t as fast as we had hoped but patience has paid off and we got the very best person that we could possibly find to manage the women’s national team.

“I think that we’ve ended up in a very good place. We’re very proud in the FAI that Vera has chosen to be our Women’s National Team manager, and we’re extremely positive about the next game against Ukraine. Women’s sport in general is getting a big boost, I think we’re at tipping point in terms of women’s sport, never mind football.

“For the Ukraine match we’re hoping to get a full house in Tallaght Stadium and I think that having a top-class manager like Vera will help.”

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