FAI to pay McCarthy €1.2m to manage Republic
EMMET MALONE, JOHN FALLON
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has agreed to pay the new Republic of Ireland soccer manager Mick McCarthy an annual salary of about €1.2 million.
A deal agreed yesterday will also see McCarthy earn significant bonuses if he successfully gets the Irish team to the European Championship. His salary will be more or less what Martin O’Neill started in the job on, and is understood to be at least double the salary of Wales manager Ryan Giggs whose side beat the Republic of Ireland home and away during in the Nations League this autumn.
Two-year contract
O’Neill’s salary rose to an estimated €2 million a year during his five-year tenure, which ended on Wednesday. FAI chief executive John Delaney met McCarthy yesterday to agree a two-year contract.
This will initially cover the European Championships and there is an option to extend for the campaign beyond that. The new manager is expected to be unveiled over the weekend.
McCarthy (59) will bring with him Terry Connor, who has worked as his assistant at both Wolves and, more recently, Ipswich over a combined period of nine years. Robbie Keane is likely to have a coaching role in the new set up.
McCarthy will take up the role immediately and will be at next weekend’s draw for the European Championship qualifying groups at the Convention Centre in Dublin.
It is understood that the second candidate in the race, Stephen Kenny, was also spoken to in the last 24 hours but by an experienced intermediary. There remains the prospect of the Dundalk manager joining the association as their new under-21 manager, or as part of McCarthy’s backroom team.
Former Ireland captain McCarthy ended his first six-year stint as manager in controversial circumstances in November 2002.
