Former Republic of Ireland coach Anthony Barry has emerged as a potential successor to Stephen Kenny.
“We are still talking to a number of candidates in relation to it,” said FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill, inside Government Buildings on Wednesday. “I am not going to say who any of those candidates are but the process is moving forward well.”
Hill indicated that a new manager will be in place before a two-match international friendly window in March. Ireland’s men’s side do not have a competitive fixture until September 2024, when their Nations League B campaign resumes, with 2025 dedicated to qualifying for the World Cup in North America.
Barry, according to the Telegraph, is a leading candidate to replace Kenny, who was not offered a new contract following an abysmal Euro 2024 qualification campaign which only delivered two wins, over Gibraltar.
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It also helps that the 37-year-old from Liverpool was widely seen as an elite coach by Irish players during a 12-month stint two years ago when he double-jobbed in Dublin and at Chelsea. Thomas Tuchel subsequently took Barry to Bayern Munich where he continues to cover club and country duties under Roberto Martinez at Portugal.
Martinez previously headhunted him from the FAI to coach Belgium at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Concerns over having to buy Barry out of his Bayern contract could dissuade the FAI, as they continue to carry debts of €43 million. The association will not seek outside contributions to pay their newly titled “head coach” salary, even if the €520,000 Kenny was believed to be on will prove insufficient to attract an experienced manager.
“We want the best person for the job,” said Hill. “That’s the profile for it, and it is as simple as that. Marc Canham, who is helping with the process, has a real feel for the type of head coach he would like, and whoever we choose we would like a head coach who is motivated to look at all of our underage teams as well, and work to create an approach everyone buys into.”
Canham, the FAI director of football, is set to unveil a new women’s head coach next week. He was believed to be interested in Lee Carsley initially as men’s coach but that option appears to be receding. Carsley led England to an under-21s European Championship this summer and initially seemed keen to coach Ireland having won 40 caps in midfield between 1997 and 2008.
Chris Hughton, who was former Ireland manager Brian Kerr’s assistant coach until 2005, is also reportedly in the running, but the 65-year-old is currently Ghana manager.
At last week’s Soccer Writers Ireland awards, Liam Brady suggested a return to the hot seat for Kerr alongside Damien Duff or Stephen Bradley or both as coaches, but the former Faroe Islands manager is not expected to return to management in 2024.
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