In what is a strange and confusing time for Irish soccer fans everywhere, one thing we can rely on is this.
Niall Quinn will not be applying for the newly vacated CEO position at the FAI anytime soon!
The former international striker was in the Virgin Media studios this evening and he pulled no punches in lambasting the decision by the Association to move out-going Chief Executive John Delaney into a new role of Executive Vice President, calling the move "a charade".
"Under absolutely no circumstances will I be applying for the job."
"Anybody going in there will have a shadow over them because the departing CEO hasn't departed at all"
Niall Quinn pulls no punches on the FAI's decision.#MONENG #Euro2020 #VMSport pic.twitter.com/39T3vqYfIH— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 25, 2019
And when questioned as to whether he had any interest in filling the void left by Delaney's sidestep, the former Sunderland chairman was as equally forthright with his answer.
Quinn, who won 92 caps for the Republic of Ireland over a stellar career that spanned three decades, believes that the FAI had the opportunity to enact real change over the weekend with their handling of the Delaney affair, but did nothing more than "fudge it".
There's one change that needs to be made.
John had fourteen years at it, worked hard, did what he did. He has his critics, he has his people who swear by him.
I think his time is over and it's time for a new wind of change. There's a centenary celebration coming up and should that be about the last 100 years or should it be about the next stage of the FAI and where it goes?
There's time for new thinking. Football has changed since John Delaney first took the job and I think we need to be at a different rate, a different pace with different approaches. We need to look at a commercial investment in the game here, we need to look at creating an eco-industry here, where people who want to be commercial executives of football clubs can go to college, to study to work in football.
We have nothing!
So just to be clear, you're definitely, 100% not happy then Niall?
Despite Quinn's reluctance, fellow studio guest Jon Walters, who announced his retirement from playing at the weekend due to an on-going issue with his Achilles tendon feels that the Dubliner "ideas and passion" would only help Irish football.
"Although Niall says in the current climate he wouldn't apply for the CEO job, well then does the climate need to change?"@JonWalters19 endorses Niall Quinn as FAI CEO after Niall rules himself out of the running under the current circumstances.#FAI #Euro2020 #VMSport. pic.twitter.com/v3UGe0yh5a
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 25, 2019
