FAI CEO Jonathan Hill has claimed that Vera Pauw was not offered a new deal because she was not going to change her fundamental approach with Ireland's Women's team going forward.
Pauw led Ireland to their first-ever Women's World Cup this year but criticised the FAI for not offering her a new deal. The former Ireland coach also claimed that the review of the World Cup campaign and the style of play under Pauw was flawed. Pauw also claimed that she was undermined by senior figures who weren't qualified to do the job she did while in the role.
The FAI has remained silent on their former employee's claims until now. A media briefing held this morning by FAI CEO Hill and Director of Football Marc Canham attempted to set the record straight regarding the decision to not offer Pauw a new deal with the Ireland Women's team.
Hill, speaking to reporters, claimed that they would not attack Pauw's training ideas while she was Ireland's boss but also admitted that Ireland needed to change several things to move forward.
“It’s important to stress that we are not here to criticise the manager’s approach in any of these areas,” Hill told reporters today.
“Vera was very clear, consistent, and open in stating, not just to us but also to her staff and players, that she believed her approach to core areas such as these was absolutely the right one and indeed something she had adhered to throughout her entire career.
“We are not doubting that conviction, nor indeed her beliefs. But we do feel it is important to recognize that in professional football, as in wider sport, there are always disagreements and at times, subsequent tension behind style and preparation.
'It was clear from conversations with Vera that she was not going to change her fundamental approach'
FAI CEO Jonathan Hill says there differences in opinion between Vera Pauw and the FAI on the future direction of the women's national team pic.twitter.com/vzbaQbvuej— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) September 14, 2023
”The manager had her views and believed in her approach. A number of the players and indeed Marc simply had a different position.
“What we’re saying in simple terms is that we genuinely believe in order to propel the next phase of growth with this team for women’s and girls’ football in Ireland more broadly, we feel we need a different and fresh approach.
“There were indeed differences of opinion, but these are part and parcel of the game. It was clear from conversations with Vera that she was not going to change her fundamental approach.”
Hill also acknowledged that the claims around Pauw's time at Houston Dash in 2018 were a main factor in not offering the Dutch woman a new deal.
“In May, there was going to be a final discussion with an offer, which was not made, and on the 9th of June, a text message came that an offer would be made before the end of that afternoon, so far before the Athletic interview came out. And then the Athletic interview came out.
“I had personal reasons why I had to engage in it, and the details are known by the CEO and the communications manager, so I have been completely honest with them about it. But it looks now as if the same things were put into that article, and I have stepped overboard to engage with players or to put players under pressure just before the World Cup, which was not the case. And of course, the timing was not okay. From that moment on, the CEO has had meetings with staff members, with players, and that has had a major influence on the development of the authority during the World Cup.”
