The FAI made an unexpected, yet unsurprising, announcement on the search for the next Republic of Ireland manager earlier today, confirming that an appointment is unlikely to be made until later this summer.
FAI director of football Marc Canham previously said that an appointment was close, but could not be confirmed due to 'existing contractual obligations'. It was said an announcement in early April was in the offing.
However, after that deadline passed with no movement, it became clear that whatever plan the Association had in place had clearly not come to fruition. Today's announcement only hammered home that fact.
FAI Director of Football Marc Canham issues an update on the MNT Head Coach position ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/F4hFnbH3dz
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) April 19, 2024
It is now hoped that an appointment will be made before the UEFA Nations League opener against England on September 7th.
The question is, what now?
Marc Canham said that the search for a suitable candidate will continue, although it remains unclear what will change over the next couple of months that means such a person will suddenly take the role.
It has been suggested that the likes of Lee Carsley, Anthony Barry, and Gus Poyet have already turned down the job.
In saying that, reading the tealeaves, there are hints that the FAI are targeting one coach in particular to be the next Ireland manager.
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Is this the FAI's target to be the next Ireland manager?
When it was said that 'existing contractual obligations' were delaying an announcement on the next Ireland manager until early April, Lee Carsley and Gus Poyet were the names that were initially suggested as possible candidates.
Both men were in positions that saw them involved during the March international window, with the England U21s and Greece respectively. Carsley would soon rule himself out of the running, and while Poyet was available after his side's Euro 2024 play-off loss to Georgia, he did not take the gig either.
Could it be that the other man on the side of that play-off was the one the FAI were targeting all along?
Willy Sagnol was also in a position that would see his contract with Georgia finish at the end of the Euro 2024 campaign.
However, his time with the nation has now been extended after they qualified for the finals in Germany. Of course, this means that he would not be available to lead Ireland during the June fixtures against Hungary and Portugal.
Canham's announcement might well suggest that Sagnol is the man they are looking at. He mentioned that a wider pool of candidates would be available during the summer, something that would apply to the Frenchman. He also has both club and international experience, another stipulation put forward in today's clip.
The Irish Mirror reported earlier this week that many within the Ireland squad felt that Sagnol was lined up to be the next manager during the March window. Perhaps that plan was scuppered by Georgia's victory over Greece?
If that is indeed the case, you would imagine that the FAI have received encouragement that Willy Sagnol was open to taking the role once his Georgian commitments come to an end. In saying that, considering how much of a farce this process has been up to this point, we certainly would not be convinced of that.
In any case, the former Bayern Munich star seems to fit neatly into both the criteria and timeline set out by the FAI.
Whether that lead to an eventual appointment is altogether a different matter.
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