FAI sub-committee to discuss appointment of independent directors

A key sub-committee of the Football Association of Ireland is set to meet this week to discuss the appointment of independent directors to the beleaguered organisation.

The nominations committee could meet as soon as Wednesday to discuss the appointments, with sources suggesting that if all goes to plan, the directors could be in place before the end of the week.

The appointment of the four independent directors is seen as a key reform which would pave the way towards the restoration of state funding to the FAI, which has been withheld following a corporate governance controversy which emerged last week.

Members of the sub-committee have not been told the names of the nominees for the positions. The process is being run by an outside consultancy, Amrop, and insulated from the existing board and executive of the FAI.

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Crisis talks

The association's reputation has been badly hit by the corporate governance scandal, which surrounds the terms of employment afforded to its former chief executive, John Delaney.

Restated accounts for the final few years of Mr Delaney’s tenure were published last autumn, revealing striking reversals in previously-stated financial position of the FAI. The organisation had liabilities of €55 million at the end of 2018, but that has since risen to some €62 million.

Aside from the potential restoration of government grant funding, the appointment of new directors could also raise the likelihood of a wider package of financial supports being agreed.

The government is set to meet with the association's bank, Bank of Ireland, and Uefa, European soccer's governing body, later this month for crisis talks on the future of the organisation.

Minister for Sport Shane Ross last month rejected an appeal for financial support from the association which amounted to a total of €18 million, although the figure was not entirely composed of cash supports. A government guarantee for the FAI's debts has also been discussed, to form part of a refinancing package which would improve the sustainability of its €27 million debt pile.

Relations between the government and the FAI deteriorated further in the aftermath of an appearance by Mr Ross at the Oireachtas sport committee in December, at which he cast doubt over the viability of the league of Ireland and revealed the €18 million bailout which had been sought.

Last month the association apologised to fans and other stakeholders for the “mistakes of the past”.