Updated at 18.25
GUS POYET HAS rejected the chance to become Republic of Ireland manager after being informed by the FAI that he was not permitted to take his preferred coaching staff for the job.
The 42 understands that the Uruguayan was keen to take on the role and held discussions after his Greece side were beaten by Georgia in their Euro 2024 play-off final.
Contrary to reports in the Greek media, sources insist he was not offered a five-year contract and it was issues relating to personnel that proved the biggest stumbling block.
The prospect of Poyet staying on as Greece manager now looks like a possibility and he could be offered a new contract by the country’s association.
Director of Football Marc Canham previously stated that the new manager’s staff would be appointed ‘in collaboration’ with the FAI.
“I think as part of the process, we do want a coach who will come in and work with us in partnership and create that coaching team around it,” Canham said in February.
“It will be a bit of a hybrid. Sure, the head coach will have some people he wants to bring in but I see it as a partnership where they’re not bringing in their own team, but in the same way, we’re not saying you have to have this person. It will be a collaboration between the two.”
Several candidates have been linked with the vacant role in recent months, with Lee Carsley, Roy Keane, Chris Coleman and Neil Lennon among those ruled out of the running.
Interim boss John O’Shea has also been linked with the full-time job and during the week said that he was “more than ready and capable to be a manager” after overseeing a 0-0 draw with Belgium and a 1-0 defeat by Switzerland in the March international friendlies.
O’Shea retained some of the staff who had worked with the previous boss Stephen Kenny, including Athletic Performance Coach Damien Doyle and analyst Stephen Rice.
Former Ireland midfielder Glenn Whelan, ex-Crystal Palace defender Paddy McCarthy, former Ireland manager Brian Kerr, analyst Martin Doyle and current Ipswich Town and Ireland U21 goalkeeper coach Rene Gilmartin were also part of O’Shea’s team.
