Awkward questions await Vera Pauw after US report

The FAI backed the WNT manager after the report into 'historical events' included the name of the Dutch coach.

BACKING: Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw. Picture: Stephen McCarthy / FIFA via Sportsfile

Vera Pauw will face questions from the media after she was named in a report as facing allegations of misconduct when manager at US club Houston Dash.

The club on Wednesday apologised to players after the release of a report on the National Women's Soccer League, which identified misconduct within more than half of its clubs.

It took until 7pm on Thursday, almost 24 hours after the report’s publication for the FAI or Pauw to comment, with her employers backing the Irish women’s team boss.

The statement, released after the FAI board had convened, read: “The FAI is aware of an NWSL/NWSLPA joint report into historical events within its own League in which Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team Manager Vera Pauw has been referenced.

“Neither the FAI or Vera had sight of this report before it was published and we note that Vera has already expressed her views to the authors of the report.

“The FAI continues to support Vera and her team as they prepare for the upcoming Fifa Women’s World Cup in 2023.” 

Asked was the case closed, FAI chairman Roy Barrett said: “As it stands, yes. Vera has strong views on this.

“I’m not sure she didn’t cooperate. She declined to be interviewed but provided a written statement. This was an investigation by the league and players’ association, carried out by lawyers, and open to anybody to participate or not. She wasn’t obliged to so.

“I’ve read most of the report. Allegations are made that Vera refutes and investigators haven’t opined either way on those, just stated the facts.

“If you look at how they dealt with some of the other horrific allegations, they had a view on the allegations.” 

Pauw flew into Dublin on Thursday night and is due to meet with FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill.

The FAI confirmed that no similar complaints have been made by members of the Irish squad Hill said: “We talked through the issue at the board meeting today. We can certain address anything within our jurisdiction; these are things that happened some considerably long time ago in the US. We are not belittling them but will need time to review them.”

Meanwhile, the FAI may seek to extend Government’s requirement to meet their gender balance obligations due to difficulties in the process of attracting females onto their board.

Thursday night’s resumed AGM was supposed to make headway towards increasing the number of women from two to the required five by the end 2023 but the summit descended into farce.

Voting on the ratification of directors – including newcomer Niamh O’Mahony – had to be suspended after a slew of delegates complained they were unable to cast through the online ballot. Electoral Chairman Jim Moran blamed 'technical issues' for the deferral of vote until a future date, yet to be decided. “We didn’t see the issues,” admitted Chairman Roy Barrett afterwards.

Last night’s virtual summit was only held due to the delay in meeting this State stipulation, forcing July’s in-person meeting to be adjourned. Now they’ll have to make it a hat-trick of summits. 

“There is wriggle-room there,” admitted President Gerry McAnaney about negotiations with the Government.

Meanwhile, chief executive Jonathan Hill confirmed that the upcoming kit deal – believed to be with Castore – will be the largest in the history of the association.

In late October, the FAI prematurely terminated its contract with JACC Sports, suppliers of Umbro kit, due to late payments on their deal, opening opportunities for another company to pitch for the package.

Castore, backed by tennis player Andy Murray among others, are understood to have been the successful contender and due to be announced early in the new year.

They are known in the UK for supplying apparel to Rangers, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Sevilla but as they are anxious to break into the international sphere, the FAI are considered an ideal starting point.

Former FAI commercial director Hill, in his two years since succeeding the deposed John Delaney as permanent supremo, has been unable to deliver a primary sponsor – leaving a major hole in the projected revenue.

It is believed that discussions were held with Irish firms such as fuel powerhouse Circle K, yet have failed to translate into a four-year, €6m blockbuster deal.

“We were in discussions with a primary partner but I’ll be candid by saying that this didn’t happen due to the whole economic situation changing within Ireland,” he said.

“The sponsorship market remains soft but while the Euro 2024 qualifiers are tough, it is an attractive one commercially.” 

Hill used the occasion to furnish an update on the strategy document unveiled in February, detailing progress on the six pillars designed to modernise Irish football by 2025.

He got off to a false start when the first objective of the first category – to undertake an audit of nationwide facilities by the end of 2022 – wasn’t achieved.

These inspections, according to Hill, won’t be completed until March, a bizarre situation given the obvious and general deplorable start for years of venues across the national league.

They didn’t even need 10 months to understand how much work and money is required to make the stadia fit for purpose.

As revealed by the Irish Examiner last week, the blue-sky plan is to seek a ballpark €100m per annum investment bundle over a decade ringfenced for all levels of the game.

One of the independent directors, Robert Watt, who the Department of Health secretary general, spoke glowingly about the infrastructure plan while Roy Barrett, in highlighting the benefits of gender balance, spoke about maintaining harmonious relations with Leinster House given the mission of securing their support in overhauling the decaying states of facilities.