Vera Pauw: Ireland player who posted song video is 'devastated'

'DEVASTATED: Ireland manager Vera Pauw has admitted the Irish player who posted the video of teammates singing a sectarian song in the Hampden Park dressing-room is 'devastated' and was left 'crying in her room'. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Vera Pauw has admitted the Irish player who posted the video of teammates singing a sectarian song in the Hampden Park dressing-room is 'devastated' and was left 'crying in her room'.

The Republic of Ireland manager insisted whilst offering a fulsome apology in Dublin this morning that there was 'no excuse for it' and apologised repeatedly.

A video of Irish players celebrating their 1-0 win over Scotland, which secured the team's qualification for the World Cup finals for the first time, showed them singing 'Ooh ah, up the 'Ra', a sectarian song typically associated with support of the IRA.

Addressing the media in Malahide this morning, Pauw chose to address the issue immediately and spoke at length about her disappointment over the episode, stating that the players realise they have let themselves down.

She also said that the player who released the content was 'so, so sorry' and was initially inconsolable after learning of the extent of the mistake.

"We were made aware of a clip that has gone viral, out of the dressing-room," said Pauw. "From the bottom of our heart, we are so sorry because there is no excuse for hurting people. It was unnecessary. I have spoken already with several players about it and the one who posted it is devastated, she is crying in her room. She is so, so sorry. But there is no excuse for it.

"If I would have been there, to be honest, I would not have recognised (the song's significance) because I am a foreigner, I don't know the song, I don't know what it means.

"But we are a team that is always respectful to everybody and respect is the first line of my first meeting with the players. That is why I feel so at home in this team because there is always respect for everybody and the fact that this has happened, there is no excuse for it. 

"We cannot hurt people. It was part of the moment but that is not an excuse. So it is an educational moment also. We need to take responsibility at any moment, in any time.

"People said to me, 'If it was in private....' No, even in a private atmosphere you cannot do it because respect is something that carries you through everything, through your whole life and we, yeah, we have that value as the highest point. 

"For anything that we do, whether it's how....that we clean up the dressing-room, always, we never leave stuff there, up to the message we send out and how we deal with people, the respect that we have for the people around us, so, again, on behalf of....I'm responsible for the players, so on behalf of the players and the staff and the association I would offer my sincere apologies to all the people that we have hurt."

Asked if the players are disappointed that the landmark win may have been overshadowed by the incident, Pauw shook her head.

She said they are simply disappointed to have made such an error of judgement though said they assured her that it was merely an expression of celebration, as opposed to any political statement.

"I asked 'Did you know what you were singing?' And they said, 'Of course we know it but we didn't feel it. It was not meant to hurt anyone'. But that is no excuse. Deeply sorry. Even if it's in the emotions of the celebrations, it's as wrong as when it's planned. It shouldn't have happened."

Pauw said the group has a responsibility to have 'respect for the people who are hurt and who are offended by it'.

She added: "Your freedom ends when you step into the freedom of somebody else, that is what we say to each other always. You can do whatever you want but as soon as you hurt somebody it's wrong. And we're sorry for that and we want to offer our deepest apology to the people that we have offended."