Stephen Kenny has fired back at comments made by Cork City manager John Caulfield on Newstalk's Off The Ball on Wednesday night.
Caulfield had "absolutely, 100 per cent" denied Kenny's claim, made last week, that Dundalk captain Stephen O'Donnell had received a taunting phone call from the Cork City bus following the 2016 Cup final between the two sides. "Stephen O'Donnell would verify that because he's a gentleman and a brilliant player," added Caulfield.
In an interview with Dundalk's club website, published on Thursday evening, Kenny said it was "common knowledge" that O'Donnell had received the phone call and that it was "absurd" for Caulfield to suggest that he had concocted the event.
In relation to John Caulfield’s accusation of lies on Newstalk’s programme where he claims I made the situation up about a phone call to Stephen O’Donnell, it is common knowledge that Stephen O’Donnell got the phone call.
We had a meal in the AVIVA on Sunday after the FAI Cup Final. I shook hands with John Caulfield, John Cotter and Liam Kearney. I congratulated them on their FAI Cup win and John could have brought anything up with me then but he chose to go on to Newstalk and attack me personally, accused me of lying and all of that which is completely out of order.
To suggest that anyone could make something up like that is absurd. It’s bordering on the ridiculous.
Kenny also clarified the situation surrounding Cork City player Karl Sheppard.
In the interview with Off The Ball, Caulfield stated "there was a lot of rubbish said and certain things that were said which were totally lies" in the build-up to the cup final. Asked to make clear what he meant, Caulfield asked, "Why would you leak that our player has signed for the other team four days before the cup final?"
There had been suggestions that Sheppard was going to depart Turner's Cross for Oriel Park, it was something Kenny refused to deny ahead of last weekend's cup final between Cork and Dundalk. Following the weekend's game, Sheppard signed a new two-year deal to remain with Cork.
Kenny said that Sheppard had signed a pre-contract agreement with Dundalk. However, after the cup final, he had a change of heart.
Karl Sheppard approached a member of our staff to say he was moving to Balbriggan and would we be interested in signing him. He’s a good player. He can play in a number of positions. Negotiations were concluded quickly and a pre-contract agreement drawn up by the club’s solicitor in September.
Karl travelled up to the City North Hotel to sign the pre-contract agreement. A pre-contract is a big commitment both ways as, for example, the club would have been liable for this salary for the next two years if he had got injured for Cork. However, we undertook to do that.
At that time, we could have announced that signing as a pre-contract signing however out of respect for Karl we didn’t. There had just been persistent questions in the weeks leading up to it. We didn’t confirm it but we just couldn’t keep denying it.
It was like a situation with other players in the league. It wasn’t any different – like Greg Bolger going from Cork City to Shamrock Rovers or to Tobi Adebayo Rowling going to Cork City. There was a lot of speculation about it but we didn’t confirm or deny it.
After the Cup final, Karl had a change of heart. It’s always difficult for a player to leave and go to a rival to be fair and as a manager there’s nothing you can do in that situation. It’s in the club’s hands now. The club will deal with it as they see best.
