Fifa’s €5m payment to FAI ‘quite extraordinary’, says Kenny

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the payment of €5 million by Fifa to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) in the wake of Ireland's controversial failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was "quite extraordinary".

Mr Kenny said FAI chief executive John Delaney should answer all questions in relation to the transaction but claimed his position is still tenable.

Mr Kenny said he expected Mr Delaney and the FAI to make a detailed statement on the matter this afternoon, and that he expected “full transparency and accountability”.

Mr Kenny said the Fifa scandal had attracted worldwide attention and was “quite extraordinary”.

He said the money was not taxpayers money but said full transparency and accountability is required.

There is mounting controversy over the payment brokered by Mr Delaney. It came after Ireland was denied a place in the 2010 World Cup after striker Thierry Henry illegally handled the ball during Ireland’s final qualifier match against France in Paris. The handball was not spotted by the match referee.

Minister for Sport Paschal Donohoe said it was in everybody’s interests that the matter was dealt with in a transparent way.

He said: “I can assure you that I had no knowledge of this transaction. I would be very surprised if any of my predecessors were aware of it ether.

“It is all for these reasons and it is in everybody’s interests that clarity be brought to these matters.”

Mr Donohoe added that €5 million was an extraordinary amount of money and details on how it was used needed to be clarified.

He said: “I support John Delaney in his work... Alongside that matters which are important to the public are answered and dealt with in a comprehensive manner.”

Tánaiste Joan Burton said she found the story “intriguing”.

She said: “Particularly the meeting where you have a few hot words and leave with €5 million in your pocket.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan added his voice to those calling for the FAI to fully disclose the circumstances in which Fifa paid €5 million to the organisation.

He said the controversy had the potential to affect Ireland’s reputation and said: “The FAI should make disclosure of the payment. Our international reputation is at stake.”

Mr Kenny’s comments follow confirmation from the FAI that it received €5 million from Fifa after Ireland’s controversial failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after the Republic of Ireland’s extra-time play-off defeat to France in Paris when Thierry Henry intentionally handled the ball in the build-up to the game’s decisive goal.

A media frenzy in the game’s aftermath included calls for the game to be replayed.

Sepp Blatter, the then Fifa president, who resigned from the position on Tuesday, poked fun at such claims and publicly stated Ireland had sought to be included in the World Cup as a 33rd country.

Mr Delaney said on Thursday that these events led to the Fifa payment.

“I’ll tell you exactly what happened . . . We felt we had a legal case against Fifa because of how the World Cup hadn’t worked out for us because of the Henry handball.

“Also the way Blatter behaved if you remember on stage, having a snigger, having a laugh at us.

“So that day when I went in, I told him how I felt about him, there were some expletives used. We came to an agreement. That was a Thursday and on the Monday, the agreement was all signed and all done. It was a good agreement for the FAI, a very legitimate agreement for the FAI.”

Fifa also links the money to the defeat by France but, in a statement issued on Thursday night, it described the money as a loan, made to help with the construction costs of the Aviva stadium.

Fifa said the sum was written-off when Ireland failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

In a statement last night, the FAI insisted the €5 million payment “is fully reflected in our financial statements which are audited independently”.

Jim Boyce, a Northern Irish member of the Fifa executive, said he believed such “arbitrary payments” should be investigated.