Men’s team ‘behind target’, admits FAI chief executive
BEHIND TARGET: FAI Chief executive Jonathan Hill said that the men's team are behind target while the women and underage teams are well ahead. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Stephen Kenny’s name was conspicuous by its absence during Thursday night's FAI General Assembly meeting as his senior team’s failure to match strides of others was highlighted.
Defeats in the opening two games of the Euro 2024 campaign, coupled by playoff hopes receding from the improvements of rivals in separate groups, has left the FAI’s stated goal of qualification for Germany next year hanging by a thread.
The demise has been reflected by the plummet in FIFA rankings over Kenny’s three-year reign from 34 to 52 – their position of 27 in Europe falling short of the top-20 target set out in last year’s FAI strategic plan.
By contrast, all the other teams under the FAI umbrella, especially Vera Pauw’s World Cup-bound women’s squad, are thriving.
“Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were worked into our strategy and for the men we know the campaign is tough and we have very hard games coming up in September but it remains our objective to qualify,” chief executive Jonathan Hill told delegates during the remote meeting.
“Our objective was a top-20 ranking in Europe by 2025 and right now we only have FIFA rankings.
“That makes it a bit more complex to work through. The men’s team are below that target – we’d like them to reach that target – but the women’s team and underage teams are way ahead of that.” Hill stressed the importance of the FAI’s international teams holding their own during qualifying cycles, all the more vital considering how reaching tournaments boosts turnover to service and reduce the association’s debt which has chipped away from €63.5m to €44m over his 32 months as John Delaney’s permanent successor.
“Broadly speaking, we’re on target but everyone understands the desire to be consistently competitive across all of our international teams,” he pointedly added.
Head of Football Marc Canham echoed the view during his presentation: “At the tip of our mission is performance; that’s developing winning Ireland teams that have the ability to regularly be competitive at major tournaments, European and World.” Kenny’s future as Ireland boss, in the context of a testing September when they’re away to France and home to Netherlands, generated extensive hour-long debate at a scheduled meeting of the board on Tuesday night.
Hill and Canham both presented their views to the board, which will expand to 11 following the ratification of independent director, Co Clare native Maeve McMahon, during the meeting. Support by some of the manager’s traditional loyalists is believed to dipped following the 2-1 defeat to Greece.
A scoreless first half against minnows Gibraltar three days, with Kenny slow to modify tactics against limited opposition, also raised concerns around the top table about his in-game management.
Kenny’s record shows just five wins in 24 competitive matches, though he disregarded his first year during the Covid era as a farce when delivering a monologue in his final press duties that didn’t impress his employer.
They made provision for a premature parting by including a maximum severance payout if qualification was beyond Ireland during this campaign, the one he asked for his tenure to be judged on.
Contingency managerial plans have been discussed, underlining the upturn Kenny requires in the September double-header to save his job.
Meanwhile, the FAI insist they are not infringing company law by pushing out their AGM until November.
Assembly members were informed that several factors, including the upcoming women’s World Cup and the joint Euro 2028 hosting bid decision on October 10, have contributed to the move.
Traditionally, the yearly summit is staged in July but has now been deferred ‘til November 4/5.
Both the Presidency and Vice-Presidency roles are up for election while a successor to outgoing independent Chairperson Roy Barrett is due to be ratified on that occasion. Barrett confirmed in January his intention to retire once his term concludes.
Companies are required to host their AGM within 15 months of the previous summit or risk a fine but given the FAI took three attempts to conclude their 2022 version, ending only in January of this year, the clock starts from then.
“I know to people out there it sounds bizarre but in effect our AGM took place in three blocs, adjourned twice,” company secretary Gerry Egan explained when the issue was flagged by a member.
“I’m 100% satisfied that we’re within our rights. We won’t risk a financial penalty in the way that we organised it.
“Conscious of controversy in other organisations at the moment, the financial statements and audit have been completed and the documents will be approved very shortly. We fully expect that the report on the 2022 performance will be available to the members without having to wait until the AGM in November.” Hill also clarified the circumstances around the recent decision by Sport Ireland not to approve grants that would have seen each women’s national league club receive €50,000 to defray running costs.
“It wasn’t necessarily a formal application process for the women’s national league but we were asked by the Department of Sport at the end of last year to think about any women’s related initiatives that would merit additional support.
“At the time, our league director Mark Scanlon had a proposal to hand that we felt ticked that box. As things developed, it became clear that the request was actually for a broader spread across grassroots all the way through to international side.
“Accordingly, we have resubmitted and await a response from the Department Sport Ireland. The ask is in relation to all sports, not just football.”
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