BAYERN MUNICH BOSS Thomas Tuchel has dismissed reports linking his assistant Anthony Barry with the vacant Republic of Ireland managerial position as “not true”.

Barry, who is also the second-in-command to Roberto Martinez with the Portuguese national team, has been mooted in the UK media this week as a leading candidate to replace Stephen Kenny.

The 37-year-old Liverpudlian replaced Damien Duff in Kenny’s coaching ticket in February 2021 but departed a year later to join Martinez’s Belgium setup.

Barry, who previously worked with Tuchel at Chelsea, linked up with the German as he took charge of Bundesliga giants Bayern in April.

Asked about the possibility of Barry’s departure to take the top job with Ireland, Tuchel told a Bayern press conference: “That’s not true. We can forget about it.”

Barry has previously turned down managerial roles in England and the FAI would be required to pay compensation to Bayern if they were to free him from his contract with the perennial German champions.