At a press conference held at Castleknock Hotel on a bustling Wednesday morning, John O’Shea and Séamus Coleman, the interim manager and experienced captain of the Republic of Ireland football team, emphasized the importance of winning football matches in various ways. The aim was to protect Ireland’s reputation for being difficult to defeat during critical games in Dublin.
Meanwhile, Lee Carsley, the under-21 coach for England, declined the opportunity to take over from Stephen Kenny as the Republic of Ireland coach. The revelation surfaced in Carsley’s statements published by the Daily Mail, which were his first since being approached by the FAI last November. Although Carsley discussed his readiness to advance his career with the FAI, he chose not to press matters.
Marc Canham, the director of football, along with Packie Bonner and CEO Jonathan Hill, are spearheading the hunt for a new Republic of Ireland manager. Despite certain contractual obligations, Canham confirmed that they had chosen a successor. However, the name would only be disclosed in early April. This stirred up brief hopes of persuading Carsley, who represented Ireland forty times, to leave The FA.
Carsley, however, affirmed his commitment to his current stint. The coach, who led England’s under-21 team to a Euros victory last year, admitted he might consider taking on a senior role someday. Despite this, he expressed gratitude for his current position as a development coach and ruled out job applications in the immediate future.
Therefore, while Carsley’s potential appointment remains a mystery, indications suggest that other previously discussed candidates may secure an FAI contract until Euro 2028 due to prevailing contractual obligations in the current international window.
Willy Sagnol, who has served as the interim manager for Bayern Munich and technical director for France, is currently on a mission to secure Georgia’s place in the European Championship in Germany this summer. A win over Luxembourg in Tbilisi on Thursday would lead to a decisive playoff against either Greece, coached by Gus Poyet, or Kazakhstan next Tuesday in Georgia’s capital.
Sagnol, despite a past incident in 2014 where he was forced to apologise for racially profiling African players during his stretch as Bordeaux manager, meets the Canham criteria of being a field coach with international exposure. At 47, the ex-France international hinted his time with Georgia could be ending regardless of their performance in the Euros playoffs.
Sagnol explained that maintaining daily motivation can be a challenge, especially under strenuous conditions and with limited resources. He believes continuing after a defeat in the playoffs or after achieving a historic qualification could prove challenging. Nonetheless, representatives from Sagnol’s team reportedly told the42.ie that they haven’t received any contact from the FAI.
Ex-Ireland coach, Anthony Barry, is another possible contender for the job. However, if he accepted the role in early April, this would mean leaving his position as Portugal’s assistant coach prior to the Euros.
In light of the reserves of speculation, O’Shea asserts that the primary focus remains on Belgium. His objective is to formulate a team capable of posing a challenge to the world’s fourth-ranked team, yet also be resilient and difficult to defeat.
As for Coleman, he sidestepped a question regarding the upcoming manager selection, the Donegal native yearns to commemorate his 36th birthday on 11th October as Ireland’s captain. He stated that exiting from something he cherishes deeply is challenging but reassured that he’d introspect seriously if he felt he was struggling to keep up during training at Everton.
In this season, I’ve faced some strong competitors at wing, and I’ve held my own, feeling strong and capable. I value honesty, and when the time comes for me to step down, I will, but for now, I would never decline an offer from my national team, absolutely not.
The presence of brilliant newcomers has been exciting, and I embrace my role in offering guidance to these young players, much like my predecessors – the manager, Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, and Shay Given – did for me. Their advice has stayed with me throughout my career. My hope is to similarly influence the international careers of these young players. I assure you, my passion for this game and for my team, it burns brightly still.