THE FAI HAVE no plans to hold an emergency meeting to determine the future of senior men’s manager Stephen Kenny, but chief executive Jonathan Hill and director of football Marc Canham are set to hold a media briefing on Thursday to shed light on the situation.
The 42 also understands that a review of the current state of play will take place as normal as part of the 11-person board’s usual monthly gathering, in this instance on 26 September.
By that time board members may be clearer in terms of the course of action they wish to take, as there is no consensus on whether to stick with the Dubliner for the remainder of this Euro 2024 qualifying campaign or make a change now to give a replacement time to bed in before the 2024/25 edition of the Nations League starts next September.
It is also understood that the contract extension signed by Kenny last year includes a clause relating to early termination that would not require significant compensation from the FAI.
Matters are somewhat complicated by the fact Ireland could still earn a Euro 2024 play-off spot – as detailed here .
However, support for Kenny among those in positions of influence at Abbotstown has waned in recent months, particularly following the damaging 2-1 defeat away to Greece which heaped even more pressure on the manager heading into the fixtures against the top two seeds last week.
Back-to-back defeats to France and Netherlands ended any slim hopes of automatic qualification.
Hill and Canham’s media appearance later this week had been planned pencilled in following the decision to not offer Vera Pauw a new contract as women’s manager following a review of the World Cup.
That matter, along with Kenny’s future, will be in focus later this week.
