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Malachy Clerkin: Vera Pauw comes out firing against the FAI as ruckus rages on

Richard Fitzpatrick on Rubiales, Johnny Watterson on the Springboks, Brian O’Connor on dirt-track racing in America - all in your Irish Times this morning

Vera Pauw comes out firing against the FAI with a statement released in the wake of news that her contract as Ireland manager would not be renewed. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty

Malachy Clerkin's face
Malachy Clerkin
Fri Sep 1 2023 - 11:51

The Vera Pauw ruckus isn’t going away. Her statement late on Thursday night was the first time any of the people involved came up for air in the 48 hours since the FAI decided to move on without her. Fair to say she is not impressed, as Gavin Cummiskey’s piece this morning outlines. “On Thursday evening, the 60-year-old Dutch coach accused the FAI executive of reneging on a ‘promised offer’ of a new contract,” writes our soccer correspondent.

Gavin was a busy boy yesterday. Stephen Kenny appeared in front of the press to announce his squad for the upcoming double-header against France and the Netherlands. “The odds might be stacked against us,” Kenny said. “People might think that’s a challenge too far, but we just need to come out on the right side of one of those games and put ourselves right back in the group. That’s what we must aspire to do.”

Of course, the Pauw affair isn’t the only long-running saga coming out of the recent World Cup. Our man in Madrid Richard Fitzpatrick has a brilliant long read today on the social upheaval in Spain surrounding Luis Rubiales, the embattled head of the Spanish FA. “His soap opera has overshadowed Spain’s World Cup victory,” Fitzpatrick writes, “but Spain’s MeToo moment could have a more profound social impact than a sporting one.”

Joanne O’Riordan’s column today expands on the theme. “This is a very familiar tale about men, especially men involved in sports, who seem to be just able to get away with things. This is a story of victims being gaslit, a story of women having to sigh and pretend everything is fine while facing down injustices every day.”

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Finally on soccer, it’s a huge night in the League of Ireland as the run-in to the title race really starts to heat up. Our preview of the night’s action includes this immortal line from Shels manager Damien Duff, whose side play St Pats: “I know there’s big games [tonight] in the league, but the biggest game in Ireland is at Tolka Park. I am absolutely certain of that.”

In golf, day two of the women’s Irish Open is underway in Dromoland Castle. Philip Reid’s dispatch from day one features Olivia Mehaffey, the Co Down player who is gradually finding her way back to the top of the game after a nightmare couple of years personally and professionally. She shot a 69 yesterday, leaving her tied for 13th and four shots off the lead. “I had a big reset last week with my team,” Mehaffey told Philip. “There were a lot of tears but I feel like we are [on] the track we were on before that good run of form. It is nice to see the things I am working on come together quite nicely there today.”

Johnny Watterson’s column today breaks down the challenge of the Springboks at the World Cup. “South Africa have made a statement, which is that director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and Nienaber are prepared to be risk takers and are ready to turn the World Cup into a series of stadium-sized arm wrestles with bigger men flooding into the arena in the second half. Less beauty and more beast has now had a proven test run.”

Finally, Brian O’Connor has a fascinating racing column this morning on the dangers of dirt tracks in America. “Persevering with dirt as its main surface satisfies tradition,” he writes. “It also risks the sport’s long-term viability.”

On Telly: Luton’s first home game since promotion to the Premier League is against West Ham, Sky Sports Main Event, 7pm