The long process to appoint the next Republic of Ireland manager was finally brought to a close today, with Heimir Hallgrímsson being announced as the next national head coach.
The Iceland native was not someone that had been heavily linked with the role in recent times, having been in charge of Jamaica for the last two years. However, he became available in recent weeks after leaving his role with the nation after their recent Copa America exit.
Hallgrímsson first came to prominence during his time in charge of his native country, guiding them to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and a first ever World Cup berth in 2018.
While this seems like a shrewd appointment, the FAI have come under some heavy criticism for the process that led them to this point.
Stephen Kenny was dismissed as manager back in November, meaning it is around eight months since a permanent boss was in place. As well as that, there were a number of false dawns in recent months, with promised deadlines not met and John O'Shea serving as interim manager for two international windows.
Indeed, comments made by the new manager would lead to some questions about the FAI's efforts.
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Heimir Hallgrímsson Opens Up On FAI's Ireland Manager Search
The FAI claimed to be close to appointments on a couple of occasions, most notably in March when they said that a new manager had been all but sealed, but could not be announced until early April due to 'existing contractual obligations'.
Heimir Hallgrímsson would have been in charge of Jamaica during this period, although he also knew that he would be there until this summer's Copa America. That would suggest that he was not the candidate the FAI had in mind.
In his first interview as Ireland boss, he suggested that real contact was only made with him in the aftermath of Jamaica's Copa America exit on July 1st. He also summed up why the Ireland offer was an exciting one for him to take on.
"The Irish support is unique. The Irish are a proud, hard-working people and you can build a lot around that, the team should represent that..." 🇮🇪
First interview with our new Head Coach Heimir Hallgrímsson 💚 pic.twitter.com/e0xPLNGXCN— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) July 10, 2024
It was some time back I heard (about Ireland interest).
Like others that contacted, I told them I would be focused on the Copa America. We would decide after the Copa what we would do.
It was just an honour to be thought of as the next possible coach for the Republic...
It has been quite a hectic time since I stopped (with Jamaica). There have been a lot of things going on, but finally this is a done deal.
I'm really happy to be here...
It's an exciting project. I think Ireland have underperformed a little in recent years.
It's a young and talented squad, but still with a lot of international experience. They have games under their belt. I think the future is here.
That is one. Secondly, I really liked the administration and how they approached and how they treated me with respect. That was another thing that really impressed me.
While it seems that Heimir Hallgrímsson may not have been the FAI's first choice as the new Ireland manager, his record with Iceland would suggest that he could be a shrewd appointment.
If he proves to be a big success, most supporters will quickly forget about the drawn out recruitment process that ultimately led to him getting the job.
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