NEW CARDIFF CITY manager Mick McCarthy says he harbours no “ill-feeling” towards the FAI for the nature in which his Ireland tenure came to an end last spring, and that he was content to leave Stephen Kenny “get on with it” when it became clear he would not have the opportunity to manage Ireland in their Euro 2020 play-off against Slovakia.
McCarthy was speaking to media via Zoom following his confirmation as Cardiff City boss, just over a fortnight after he was sacked by APOEL Nicosia following a poor run of form during his two months in charge of the Cypriot club.
On his APOEL stint, the former Republic of Ireland defender said: “It didn’t work out. Whether that’s me or not… I can run through a litany of excuses. We had 19 players who had Covid-19 from 8 December. We came back and lost all three games.
“Whether that’s Covid or me and TC (Terry Connor), it didn’t work. So, it’s the first time ever that has happened and I was disappointed it happened that way, but I am looking forward to this challenge [at Cardiff].”
The pandemic also played a key role in McCarthy leaving his previous job, that as manager of Ireland, before having a chance to finish it: the postponement of Euro 2020 and, indeed, its qualification play-offs meant that McCarthy handed the reins to already-appointed successor Stephen Kenny before the qualification campaign he had overseen had reached its conclusion.
But McCarthy, due a €1.13 million exit fee agreed with John Delaney upon his short-term appointment in 2018, says he looks back with no bitterness towards anyone involved in Irish football despite not getting the chance to manage the national team in their rescheduled play-off in Bratislava, which Stephen Kenny’s charges lost on penalties.
“No, none of that!” McCarthy said. “I was disappointed because Covid struck. My disappointment was because my contract didn’t run over and above Covid.
“My contract ended in July and it was never going to be extended beyond that because I accepted Stephen Kenny was taking the job. I left in April and was quite happy to let Stephen get on with it. I left quite happily, [although] disappointed because I wanted to take the Slovakia game, but it just wasn’t feasible and it was Stephen’s time.
“I have no anger, ire, ill-feeling. It was a contractual issue. I loved being back with Ireland and it was an absolute honour to manage them for the second time.”
On the impact of Covid, McCarthy later added: “I was affected because I couldn’t finish my contract [with Ireland],” but stressed: “I have not had a serious illness, or lost my house, me or any of my family. Covid is what it is. It’s here.”
Asked if he had paid any heed to the decidedly mixed reaction by Cardiff fans to his latest appointment, McCarthy said: “If you ask every Cardiff supporter, you would get a long list of people they would like to employ, a lot of people in front of me. I can’t do anything about that.
“I’m not interested in that. I just want to come in, enjoy these 22 games and do as well as I possibly can. Then, hopefully, the ones who didn’t want me will be proven wrong.”
