Another role gone: Delaney quits powerful UEFA group
JOHN Delaney has lost yet another of his trappings of influence in Irish and international soccer.
The once-powerful former FAI chief has now quit his role on the high-powered Executive Committee of UEFA with ‘immediate effect’ – a role he was reportedly paid €160,000 a year for, on top of his other lucrative earnings.
Mr Delaney formally resigned from the FAI in September, after a prolonged period on gardening leave. In December, it was revealed he had received a €462,000 pay-off from the football association.
And his departure from the UEFA committee came as no surprise. He was not being invited to meetings because of the numerous investigations at the FAI, according to reports.
Mr Delaney was appointed to the committee in April 2017 and had been due to stay until 2021. UEFA issued a statement yesterday announcing his resignation but did not address any of the issues relating to the crisis in the FAI under his leadership. Instead, it wished him well in the future and even noted some achievements with UEFA, saying he was ‘instrumental in the expansion of the EURO to 24 teams, which proved a success in 2016’.
It added: ‘He was an important figure in the move to centralise the TV rights across national team competitions’, which benefited all member associations.’
Numerous investigations into the FAI’s governance and financial affairs were launched since it was revealed that, in 2017, Mr Delaney had loaned the association €100,000.
Subsequent revelations about financial irregularities led Sport Ireland to suspend funding to association.
It has been revealed that the FAI is massively in debt to the tune of €62million, with investigations by the gardaí and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.
An audit by Northern Ireland firm KOSI, was completed in November and given to Sport Ireland. It was then referred to the gardaí for review.
In December, Sports Minister Shane Ross revealed that the association had requested €18million in a Government bailout to get a handle on its finances.
He had been paid €160k, say reports