Martin O’Neill hoping to escape Fifa censure over referee criticism

Martin O’Neill has admitted that he is concerned about the outcome of Fifa’s disciplinary probe into the criticism he and James McClean made of the referee after Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Austria at the Aviva in June. But he also said that he is hoping “the news will be good”.

It’s understood that Fifa’s disciplinary panel met to adjudicate on the matter on Thursday but that the FAI are not expecting to be notified of their decision until early next week.

Possible sanctions range from warnings or fines to, in the worst case scenario, match bans, after O’Neill described David Fernandez Borbalan’s handling of the 1-1 draw as “poor” and McClean went further by suggesting the Spanish official had been “Austria’s 12th man”.