IRELAND MANAGER MARTIN O’Neill says he isn’t worried about agreeing a new deal with the FAI before the Euro 2016 finals.
The Derryman’s current two-year contract expires this summer and he was expected to extend his stay after securing a place at the European championships in France thanks to the two-legged play-off victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
O’Neill met with FAI chief executive John Delaney in Dublin yesterday, but he had no update on developments at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon with six weeks to go until Ireland play Sweden in their opening Group E game in Paris.
“I don’t know how many times I can repeat this, I am very relaxed,” O’Neill said at the launch of the Sports Direct.com FAI Summer Soccer Schools.
“John and I have a really good relationship in terms of a working and professional relationship.
I’ve not got a problem with it. As long as I feel healthy, I’m very relaxed.
“I’ve spoken to John. He has gone off to a Uefa meeting today and I think he is pretty relaxed too so there is no problem.”
O’Neill doesn’t believe the speculation about his future will be a distraction to his squad, who will be focused on the job at hand.
“This is not like club level,” he added. “I was a player myself and I really concerned myself with what was happening to me.
“I see the players for a certain amount of days over a course of the year, same as Roy (Keane). I don’t think at international level the players will be overly-concerned either.
“We’re really fine. It’s really important to be absolutely right going into these games and I’m sure everything will resolve itself. It’s not a problem.”
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
