Brian Kerr last night threatened to take legal action against the FAI over comments regarding the national team's performance under the former manager made by the association's chief executive John Delaney in a newspaper interview.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Delaney cited the lack of fear shown by the Swiss when they visited Dublin in October as a significant fact in persuading him it was time for Kerr to go. He contrasted the confidence of the visitors for Ireland's last game of the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign with the fear shown by sides visiting Lansdowne Road when the Irish team was managed by Jack Charlton and Mick McCarthy.
Delaney suggested, in particular, the sort spirit shown by the team when the Netherlands were defeated in the autumn of 2001 had been sorely missed during the latter stages of Kerr's term in charge. "There was no fear in their eyes," Delaney is quoted as saying. "Every Swiss person I spoke to looked confident. There was no fear of intimidation about coming to Lansdowne Road anymore . . . that wasn't supposed to happen."
He went on to refer to comments made subsequently by Damien Duff, the Chelsea winger who was a regular for Kerr in several successful underage international teams prior to playing for him at senior level. "I think the most interesting remark came from Damien Duff," Delaney observes, "who said we were playing like a pub team."
Kerr was clearly deeply unhappy at the comments and in a statement issued on his behalf last night his management company said he was seeking "redress" from the association for what was a "clear and deliberate breach" of the legal agreement between the two parties when he left Merrion Square.
"Brian is very surprised," read the statement, "that almost four months after his time as Ireland manager ended the chief executive of the FAI, John Delaney, has chosen to comment publicly on the decision not to offer him a new contract.
"Brian Kerr," it continues, "is disappointed by the comments and greatly concerned by the inappropriate and mischievous presentation of the facts concerning his management of the team."
The statement goes on to claim the comments "represent a clear breach of an agreement between him and the association which he had entered into in absolute good faith."
It concludes by stating Kerr's lawyers have written to the association seeking redress for breach of agreement. Even the threat of legal action will come as bad news for an association that routinely obtains confidentiality agreements from departing senior officials, usually by paying them substantial amounts of money.
The possibility he may become embroiled in a high-profiled legal battle with his former employers over Delaney's comments would appear to represent something of an unwelcome complication for Kerr at a time he is seeking employment and has so far failed to secure any of the jobs in which he has expressed an interest.
Delaney is due to travel to Frankfurt today with Kerr's successor, Steve Staunton, for the meeting where the schedule for the Euro 2008 qualification campaign will be thrashed out by representatives of the seven competing nations.
