2 weeks Ago By Vincent Whelan
EAMON Dunphy has offered up a withering summation of Marc Canham’s time with the FAI upon hearing of his impending exit.The news came as a bit of a bombshell considering he’d only been promoted from director of football to chief football officer in September.Crispin Rodwell - The Sun DublinThe Dubliner feels Stephen Kenny and Vera Pauw got a raw deal from the FAI during Canham’s time at Abbotstown[/caption]Canham will argue that he did ultimately secure quality replacements in both Carla Ward and Heimir HallgrimssonThe former Millwall man began his column with: ‘The FAI’s chief football officer is leaving – and good riddance to him’In fact, this moving of the goalposts over his exact role within the Association is one of many things Dunphy eviscerates in his Irish Mirror column.
The 79-year-old blasts: “It MAY have come as a great shock to people to learn that Marc Canham, the chief football officer of the FAI, is about to leave.“But to be honest, I am still trying to figure out when he even arrived because to my mind, he made no impact in his three years in the job.“And, by the way, what exactly was his job?“Initially appointed as director of football, he leaves as chief football officer, which reminds me of the sketch in Monty Python’s Life of Brian when there is an argument between the People’s Front of Judea and the Judean People’s Front.
“That’s the level of farce you get with the FAI, which has forever left me feeling underwhelmed, angry, disappointed and bemused.“They may have reached peak inadequacy during the John Delaney years but they were unimpressive before he arrived and are still uninspiring now.”Dunphy then goes on the wise thing for the FAI to now do would be to set up a commission made up of “Irish football’s three wise men” – two of whom being his longtime RTE panel pals Liam Brady and John Giles.
Former Ireland striker Niall Quinn rounds out his preferred trio to investigate the flaws within the country’s football system and recommend changes to be implemented.Canham, 42, will remain in his position in the short-term for a handover with the search for his full-time successor to begin immediately. Staff only learnt the news minutes before it was made public, with plans not to be put in place for an interim appointment.
He said: “After much consideration, I have made the decision to leave the Association and relocate back to England. “This decision has not been an easy one to come to, but I believe that the time is right to explore new personal and professional opportunities for me and my family. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time living in Ireland and working in Irish football and I am proud of the work that we have put in place to support its long-term development.
“I would like to thank the FAI Board, all of my colleagues at the FAI, and everyone involved in Irish football for their support during my time with the Association. “I wish every person, every organisation and everyone associated with Irish football the very best for the future.”BIGGEST MOMENTSCanham was appointed in 2022 – and developed the Football Pathways Plan – the blueprint for the future of Irish football.
He also oversaw all the international teams, including the lengthy eight-month search for Heimir Hallgrímsson, as well as the comes and goings of the senior women’s team.Most recently, former Ireland women’s assistant manager Colin Healy has made a complaint to the FAI over his treatment and he claimed he was verbally told by Canham that he would recommend that he be offered a new two-year contract along with Eileen Gleeson. Canham has firmly stated that there were “never any assurances or guarantees” made to anyone.
FAI President, Paul Cooke said: “While we are sad to see Marc leave, we fully respect his decision, and I sincerely thank him for his dedication and hard work throughout his time with us. “His leadership and hard work in driving forward the Football Pathways Plan has set a strong foundation for the future of Irish football which we all now need to deliver upon. We wish him the very best in his next chapter.
” FAI CEO, David Courell said: “We are very grateful to Marc for his commitment and contribution to Irish football, and we wish him every success for the future. “Marc and his team have shaped a clear vision for the game through the development of the Football Pathways Plan. “This is the first time we have had a clear whole game approach which the Association is committed to delivering on and which we firmly believe will set Irish football up for future success.
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