FAI saga may impact on Aviva Stadium board

Fallout from the FAI crisis has reached Lansdowne Road, with senior figures at the Aviva Stadium awaiting clarification from Abbotstown about the positions of John Delaney and Michael Cody on its Board of Directors.

The Irish Examiner has learned that the FAI informed senior management at the Aviva on Monday that Mr Cody had agreed to step down as Honorary Secretary, and that Mr Delaney had offered to step aside from performing the role of Executive Vice-President pending the completion of an independent investigation by the Association into issues of concern.

It is understood, however, that no reference was made to their membership of the Aviva Board.

Messrs Cody and Delaney, together with president Donal Conway, are the FAI's three nominated members on the Board of Directors of the Aviva Stadium Management Company.

Phillip Browne (IRFU CEO), Declan Madden (Chair of the IRFU Management Committee) and Pat Whelan (Chair of Six Nations) complete the Board.

A quorum of four members is required for a meeting to proceed.

Aviva Stadium chiefs are keen for the FAI to clarify the position of its nominated members on the Board as soon as possible, in advance of the next meeting in June.

"The Board of the Football Association of Ireland will be looking at all these matters at its next meeting," an FAI spokesman said. The meeting is expected to take place in the coming days.

Planning and preparations for the staging of four Euro 2020 finals matches in Dublin form a large part of the Aviva Board's current programme of work.