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Finding a sponsor, hosting a World Cup and not needing to read Champagne Football - New FAI boss lays out his vision
Jonathan Hill is the FAI’s first permanent CEO since John Delaney, and yesterday he explained how he plans to drag Irish football from its miserable recent past. By Gavin Cooney Saturday 27 Feb 2021, 7:00 AM Feb 27th 2021, 7:00 AM 14,932 Views 14 Comments
Jonathan Hill, the new CEO of the FAI.
Image: FAI
Image: FAI
MEET THE NEW boss, so different to the old boss he would rather not draw any comparisons.
Jonathan Hill is the new Chief Executive of the Football Association of Ireland, the first permanent occupant of the role since a March 2019 report by Jonathan
Hill looking to turn the page on FAI's John Delaney era rte.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rte.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Image: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
ROBBIE KEANE REMAINS both on the payroll and the fringes at the FAI, and thus continues to draw a reported annual salary of €250,000 as an employee with no present role at the debt-laden Association.
In 2018, and during John Delaney’s tenure as CEO, Keane signed a four-year contract with the FAI which saw him join Mick McCarthy’s coaching staff with the Republic of Ireland senior men’s team.
Stephen Kenny opted not to retain Keane on his staff when he took over last April, and though the FAI reached agreements with McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor, no agreement was reached with Keane, who has remained under contract since.
Damien Duff s resignation doesn t make any sense. At least not if you go by the reasons being advanced for his decision to jump ship and leave Stephen Kenny in the lurch.
We re being told that Duff s departure is prompted by unhappiness about the way the FAI handled complaints from within the Irish camp about the motivational video shown to the team prior to the England game in November.
You may remember that the FAI judged it worthwhile to institute an inquiry into this video s mention of 1916 and Ireland s . . . ahem . . . problematic historical relationship with England. For good measure, someone within the Association leaked news of this inquiry to the media.