CALL FOR INVESTIGATION INTO 5 MILLION EURO PAYMENT TO FAI BY FIFA
The former head of the FAI says a 5 million euro payment to the association from FIFA ‘was not transparent’ and puts the FAI in a ‘bad light’.
Both organisations have confirmed the existence of the money – which was intended to prevent any legal action over the Thierry Henry handball which stopped Ireland from qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.
There are now calls for an investigation into the payment – which FIFA says was a ‘loan’ that would have been paid back if Ireland had qualified for the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
Former FAI chief executive Fran Rooney is calling for ‘full disclosure’ from the FAI.
“It’s a bad week to be answering these questions when we’ve a very important week ahead of us: we’ve the match against England on Sunday, and then a very important qualifier against Scotland” he said.,
“These are the issues we should be talking about – to be distracted by these off-the-field matters is not good, and it puts the FAI in bad light, that’s being honest” he added.
