Trapattoni confirmed as manager

Former Italian coach Giovanni Trappatoni has been confirmed as the new Republic of Ireland soccer boss after a protracted recruitment process handled by Don Givens, Ray Houghton and Don Howe.

Former Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni has been confirmed as the new Republic of Ireland soccer boss after a protracted recruitment process handled by Don Givens, Ray Houghton and Don Howe.

The formal announcement was made at the FAI's headquarters in Dublin after a board meeting to ratify the recruitment panel's recommendation.

FAI President David Blood told the waiting media: "The wait is over, the FAI has appointed Giovanni Trapattoni after successfully concluding negotiations with his lawyers in Milan.

"He will take over the post on May 1 when finished his commitments with Red Bull Salzburg. His first match in charge will be an International friendly on May 24 against Serbia. The appointment was by unanimous agreement."

The statistics of a 34-year career in management show he has won almost every competition he has entered: one European Cup -- the infamous Hessle final with Juventus in 1985 -- three UEFA Cups, one Cup-Winners' Cup, as well as ten domestic titles in western Europe, from Italy and Germany to Portugal.

However, the man renowned for his taste in opera, and his personal collection of over 3000 classical CDs looked to be seeing out his career with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.

His only previous experience of international management, was with Italy between 2000 and 2004.

His native country departed the 2002 World Cup after a shock defeat by hosts South Korea, and his safety-first tactics at Euro 2004 also led to a premature exit but his extensive experience impressed the recruiters sufficiently to offer him the job.