The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) today defended its decision not to pay for the wives and partners of Irish players to travel to the World Cup this summer.
In a statement this afternoon, the FAI said: "The players and the FAI reached agreement in January in relation to commercial activities and payments for qualification for the World Cup. At no stage in these discussions was the matter of players wives/partners being brought by the FAI raised for discussion.
"Arrangements have been agreed by the parties in relation to match tickets and transport to and from venues for people connected to the squad while in Japan/Korea . . . at no time did the players expect their wives/partners to be brought to the World Cup by the FAI given the desire of the players that the FAI’s surplus from participation in the World Cup would be used to develop football in Ireland".