No red card for Trap but FAI signals change

Embattled football manager Giovanni Trapattoni last night survived an FAI grilling to hold onto his €1.5m-a-year post with the Republic of Ireland.

However, the 73-year-old Italian will be urged to attend more Premier League games and be more careful with his comments about some players, it is believed.

The FAI’s board of management met for over two hours last night and backed their international manager, concluding that the humiliating 6-1 defeat to Germany in last week’s World Cup qualifier was not a reason in itself to sack the coach.