THE PUBLICATION OF the FAI’s accounts for 2018 have been delayed a further 24 hours. 

They were due to be released tomorrow morning, but an FAI board meeting decided this evening to postpone the publication by another 24 hours. The decision was taken to facilitate the signing-off of the accounts on Thursday and the presence of the entire Board at a press conference on Friday.

The FAI will publish the accounts for 2018 along with the revised 2017 and restated 2016 accounts.

The accounts were initially due to be presented to the FAI AGM in July of this year, but the meeting was adjourned when the accounts were not made available. It was the first time in the FAI’s history that accounts were not available at the AGM, and it was for that reason the meeting was adjourned. It is set to recommence at the end of December. 

The 2018 accounts are also expected to include details of the severance pay-off to John Delaney. 

Executive Lead and Vice-President Paul Cooke has warned that the accounts will cause shock after months of crisis at the football body. Debts are expected to soar as high as €50 million, exacerbated as the FAI struggle beneath the weight of mountain of legal costs. 

The Association are being kept afloat by the early drawdown of funds from Uefa, and suffered another blow earlier today as top sponsor Three announced they would not be renewing their deal once it elapses in 2020.