The FAI’s newly-minted executive vice-president is no stranger to terrace taunts but John Delaney must have been braced for a particularly long and uncomplimentary spot of serenading from the South Stand last night after the spill of events in and around the group opener against Gibraltar.

Balancing the highs and lows of John Delaney's tenure as FAI CEO.

Two cuts sent to visual Qualification for Euro 2020 gets under way this evening, and the big boys have been limbering up in their own inimitable way.

The English Football League will discuss Pep Guardiola's criticism of its Mitre ball with him after the Manchester City manager claimed it was "unacceptable".

A former professional footballer is to be sentenced for a sex attack on a young woman as she slept in her bed.

Thierry Henry’s infamous handball in 2009, which effectively cost Ireland a place at the 2010 World Cup, caused outrage in this country, but also sparked a sense of injustice in one important Englishman, who is now a pioneer of video technology in the United States.

All sides of the Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos’ unique personality are on show as he leads his team towards an increasingly likely La Liga and Champions League double.

In 2008, Paul the Octopus was hatched from an egg at the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth, England, before being moved to a tank at Oberhausen, in Germany.

For ‘The Third Man’ read ‘The Third Match’ (featuring, um, Harry Liam). So here we are back in Vienna where, this evening, your painfully punning correspondent will be making his third trip to the Ernst-Happel Stadion.

Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill will not gamble on James McCarthy's fitness as he looks for a first victory of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

The Spanish striker is leaving Sevilla.

It’s taken seven years, but the Republic of Ireland will finally avail of the opportunity to exorcise some of the ghosts from the infamous ‘Hand of Gaul’ game at the Stade de France this day week when they open their Euro 2016 account against Sweden.

Germany 1 Italy 1 (AET, Germany won 6-5 on penalties): Some stereotypes simply refuse to go away.

One wouldn’t want to meet Antonio Conte in a dark alley on a dark night, writes John Leicester.

France have pinpointed Wes Hoolahan as the Ireland player they need to thwart if they’re to prevail in today's Euro 2016 last-16 tie.

“Let the festival continue” was how the French reacted to Ireland’s win over Italy on Wednesday. And so say all of us.

Romelu Lukaku has described himself as one of the most gifted strikers in world football.

Global football body FIFA has applied to US authorities for tens of millions of dollars in damages from ex-officials indicted there for graft and recognised for the first time executives had in the past “sold” votes in World Cup hosting contests.

The man behind Ireland's worst ever car crash will be back in court today for a fresh sentence hearing after his two-year jail term was set aside on appeal.

Danskjavlar is an affectionate Swedish expression that can best be translated as ‘Bloody Danes’. It was used quite a lot after last month’s qualifying draw pitted Sweden against Denmark in the Euro 2016 play-off, with the first leg tonight in Stockholm.

Warmth of reception at Holiday Inn makes up for lack of heating in a hotel that used to be regularly hit by shells and peppered with bullets throughout the bloody three-year siege of Sarajevo, writes Liam Mackey.

As the television replays showed Thierry Henry’s handball on an endless loop, Howard Webb reached for his mobile phone.

Sepp Blatter yesterday brushed off a stunt by an English comedian to categorically state he will not stand in next year’s Fifa presidential election — and sent a ‘good luck’ message to Michel Platini, the man who is favourite to succeed him.

Chuck Blazer was banned for life by Fifa’s ethics committee for widespread corruption, finally ending the career of the long-time most senior American in world football.

Former Fifa executive committee member Chuck Blazer agreed to act undercover for US prosecutors and has been co-operating since at least 2011 in the government’s investigation of football corruption.

FIFA has handed over a second batch of computer data to the Swiss attorney general’s office, which is investigating the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The Chairman of the Dáil's Transport Committee has defended the decision not to call in FAI Chief John Delaney to discuss a €5m payout from FIFA.

Fifa has postponed the announcement of the the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup, due to the corruption crisis that has engulfed the organisation.

Fresh questions have been raised about the long-term nature of the €5 million loan agreement world soccer body Fifa struck with the Football Association of Ireland in early 2010.

The $10m sent from FIFA to Jack Warner never appeared in the annual accounts of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and nor did FIFA track the money to ensure it had been invested correctly, it can be disclosed.

Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales should be on their guard against any threat to strip the home nations of their separate status, senior figures have warned.

Jack Warner’s legal battle against extradition to the United States on corruption charges could ’possibly last years’ and even end up being heard by the Privy Council, the Attorney General of Trinidad has said.

The head of Fifa’s audit and compliance committee has reportedly claimed Russia and Qatar could lose the right to host the World Cup if evidence emerges of bribery in the bidding processes.

John O’Shea has said that the Irish players were never interested in monetary compensation for their failure to reach the 2010 World Cup following the Thierry Henry handball incident in the play-off game in Paris in 2009.

A defiant departing FIFA president Sepp Blatter is continuing to press forward with his plans for reform within the damaged organisation despite calls for him to have no further involvement.

Fifa whistleblower Chuck Blazer has said he and others took bribes for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup, in a testimony published by the United States Department of Justice.

Qatar World Cup organisers insist the crisis at FIFA will not affect their preparations for the tournament in 2022.

IF the risk that such major sponsors as Visa, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s might withdraw Fifa funding failed to concentrate Sepp Blatter’s mind, the threat of an FBI probe into his murky past has certainly succeeded judging by his sudden resignation as president of football’s world governing body. 

Between Mr Sepp ‘Steering The Ship’ Blatter (see elsewhere on this page), Mr Patrick ‘Golf Balls’ Neary (see the finance/comedy section) and Mr REDACTED REDACTED’REDACTED (see various legal eagles), it hasn’t been a great few days for prominent personages.

When Chuck Blazer answered the phone at his Trump Tower apartment, his pet macaw Max could often be heard squawking in the background.