Brady in Trapattoni talks as Colombia game confirmed

LIAM BRADY and FAI chief executive John Delaney flew out to Salzburg yesterday for discussions with Giovanni Trapattoni which should see Brady’s role confirmed and clarified in the new Irish management set-up.

Brady, who helped sell the Irish position to the veteran Italian coach, has been given the green light by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to work with Trapattoni, once it doesn’t interfere with his existing job as head of youth development at the London club.

Brady and John Delaney were in the Bulls Arena last night to watch Red Bull Salzburg take on Cashpoint Altach as Trapattoni’s team sought to make up recent lost ground in the Austrian League.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Trapattoni’s second game as Irish manager will be a friendly against Colombia in London.

The match will take place at Craven Cottage, home of Fulham, on Thursday May 29, five days after the Italian takes his first bow as Irish boss with a friendly against Serbia at Croke Park on Saturday 24.

Confirmation of the second friendly underlines the new manager’s determination to maximise his time with the Irish squad once his contract with Red Bull Salzburg ends in April.

The two friendly games in May will be preceded by a week-long warm weather training camp in the Algarve, as Trapattoni seeks to lay the foundations for Ireland’s World Cup qualifying campaign which will begin with away games against Georgia and Montenegro in September. Colombia too will be preparing for World Cup action, with the Irish game in London coming ahead of a qualifier against Peru the following month.

The long road to South Africa has already begun for the South Americans who currently lie joint second with Brazil and a point behind leaders Argentina, after four games of their qualifying campaign.