“DISBELIEF AND DISGUST”.
These are the three words used by former Irish international Keith Andrews to describe his feelings about Ireland’s €5m pay-out from FIFA after the Thierry henry handball incident in November 2009.
The FAI has come in for a lot of criticism after details of the payout were revealed by Chief Executive John Delaney this week, with players and coaches confirming they had no knowledge of such a deal.
A confidentiality agreement meant that the details of what the FAI say was a loan – which was written off when Ireland failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup – were kept secret until this week, when it was eventually made public.
And speaking on Newstalk’s Off The Ball last night the former Irish international, who played in Paris on the night of the infamous handball, said he was shocked to learn of the pay-out.
“Disbelief and disgust would be the two words that have cropped up, in my head, over the last couple of days, as the news was coming out.
“The fans, the country as a whole, we have been able to hold our heads up high about the affair; and with great dignity. That was the one comfort we all had from that night in Paris, and now I think that has been taken away from us. I find it all very very sad,” Andrews said.
Andrews continued that while the FAI were right to seek answers and justice from FIFA after the playoff defeat, morally they were wrong to accept the money.
“As a player at the time, and I’m back to being a fan now, it doesn’t sit well for me. In either camp,’ he continued. ‘If you are asking me, personally, if I would have taken a penny from them, absolutely not.
“Do I blame them from going and try to undo the injustice we suffered that night, no absolutely not. But to take the money off them, for me personally, was wrong,” he added.
He went on to label the pay-out “hush money”, saying that FIFA fobbed the FAI off with a quick cash injection.
“The way they went about it, the lack of transparency with this whole affair, with the amount of money given and FIFA coming out and saying it was a loan, well it wasn’t a loan, it was hush money to, literally get rid of John Delaney, the FAI, anyone who was saying anything about that night. It was hush money, quite simply.”
