In a fine Eamon Dunphy interview in the 'Sunday Business Post' he makes a strange claim about RTE's instructions before his Euro 2016 punditry.
Eamon Dunphy isn't exactly known for being a reserved and withdrawn individual. That's not what caused Jack Charlton to call him a "bitter little man" or what resulted in Dunphy describing Cristiano Ronaldo as a "cod" (although he has since admitted Ronaldo's greatness). Dunphy's forthrightness is why he makes for such captivating viewing and, one would think, why he remains an integral part of RTE's soccer panel.
Strange, then, to think that RTE would try to quell his opinionated ways.
Dunphy conducted what seems to have been a fairly intense interview with Fearghal O'Connor of the 'Sunday Business Post' today in which he addresses the state of the modern world, his love for his new podcast and why he is reduced to tears by a woman approaching him with a copy of his book to sign for her child in Australia.
It's a great interview, but we were struck by one small extract in particular.
Dunphy is talking about his punditry for RTE during Euro 2016.
'A suit in RTE said to me before Euro 2016: "Don't be too hard on Martin."'
'Don't be too hard on fucking Martin?' he repeats, the pitch of his voice rising alarmingly. 'What the fuck? He's getting €1,000,000 a year now. How could I be hard on him? But it just shows the way the game is going.'
Interestingly, Dunphy also spoke about how five taxi drivers in a row once told him to get lost after he emerged from a Dublin hotel at the height of his Charlton-criticising days, one stating:
I'm a fucking Jack man.
Would the same thing happen if he attacked our Marty? Maybe Roy would get to him first.
Make sure you buy a copy of today's 'Sunday Business Post' to read the full, absorbing interview.
