Clement linked to Irish manager post

PAUL Clement, a former assistant manager, is the latest name to be linked with the Republic of Ireland job. According to reports last night, Clement is interested in filling the vacancy left by the departure of Stephen Kenny. Clement, 52, has been assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Paris St Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munch, before unsuccessful stints as a No 1 at Derby, Swansea, Reading and Cercle Brugge in Belgium. The Londoner was most recently part of Frank Lampard’s backroom staff at Everton but left when the former Chelsea midfielder was dismissed 13 months ago. While working with Ireland Under 21 boss Don Givens — Clement’s late father Dave played alongside Givens at QPR — he completed his PRO Licence with the FAI in 2009, alongside Packie Bonner, one of the FAI headhunters. By coincidence, Clement had a spell under Gareth Southgate with the England U21s, currently managed by Lee Carsley — the FAI’s first choice to succeed Kenny.

Meanwhile, Keith Treacy has warned of the reputational damage to Irish club football by flares being hurled onto the pitch during games. ‘It’s just going to get us this tag of “The Irish league is mental, they’re throwing flares left, right and centre”. Nobody wants that,’ said the former Ireland striker, who was horrified when Bohs defender Cian Byrne was struck by a burning flare last Friday night. ‘I think when it (the flare) hit Cian Byrne, everybody’s heart went in their mouth and thought, “Oh God, no, this is not what we need”. ‘If that’s a yard higher, it could hit him on the face and we’re talking serious injury there, game abandoned. Nobody wants to see this sort of stuff,’ he said. ‘As League of Ireland fans, it’s not the way forward and it’s not the way we want people seeing our game.’ The FAI’s Independent Disciplinary Committee have slapped a ban on Bohemians fans attending the club’s next away game, against Drogheda United next Monday.