I’ve more than paid my salary €8MILLION? I’M WORTH IT SAYS O’NEILL
REP OF IRELAND v N IRELAND
Wales v Denmark, Thursday; Denmark v Ireland, Monday, November 19
Now on an annual wage of €2m, O’neill is the joint-fourth highest paid international boss in Europe alongside England’s Gareth Southgate.
Only World Cup victors Joachim Loew (Germany) and Didier Deschamps (France), along with Portugal’s Euro-winning boss Fernando Santos, command bigger wage packets.
The Derryman’s wedge is five times that of Ryan Giggs, who masterminded two Wales victories over Ireland in the recent Nations League matches.
In Roy Keane, he’s also got the bestpaid assistant amongst Uefa’s 53 nations alongside him.
With billionaire Denis O’brien no longer subsidising the salaries of O’neill and Keane, it is the FAI, and Irish football, picking up the hefty tab of their latest contracts.
Ireland may be on the brink of finishing last in their Nations League group and losing their second seeding for the Euro 2020 draw but O’neill still feels he represents value for money.
The former Celtic and Aston Villa manager has cited the €11m grossed by the FAI for reaching the knockout stages of Euro 2016 to support his stance. Having also pointed to increased season ticket sales in the recent past, he brought up the opening game of the duo’s reign at Lansdowne Road five years ago this week.
“It was expected that only 7,000 were going to turn up for that match against Latvia,” he noted. “However, there were 35,000 there.
“I don’t have to be justifying all of these things all the time. But it’s pretty clear, when you assess the bigger picture, that I’ve more than paid my way.
“We made substantial money from qualifying for the Euros so I don’t think I have to worry too much about my wages. If you asked the people at the FAI I think they’ve been pretty happy.
“We qualified for the Euros, we made money there and we made money in the Euros. We’ve played some Euro and World Cup play-off games too.
“If you ask any of the clubs that I’ve managed, I’ve more than paid my way.
“Apparently somebody seems to know the terms of my contract with the FAI. Sorry, but they don’t as it is a private concern.”
In further defence of his tenure, O’neill was swift to highlight the woeful period under Giovanni Trapattoni prior to his appointment in November 2013.
Still, he understands time is running out for him to salvage his job following a run of just one win in nine in the last year.
“Ireland’s Euro 2012 performance was pretty disastrous,” he said. “I think we’d got one shot on target over the three games.
“That was followed up by Germany hammering us 6-1 at home.
“We had to fight back then and that would be my intention now,” he said.