FAI panel deny talking to Trapattoni

The FAI's recruitment panel expects to be in a position to make its recommendation to the association on who should succeed Steve Staunton before the weekend, according to Don Givens, who said yesterday that only one candidate remains to be interviewed for the job.

"We have one more to do and I'm very hopeful that something could be announced by the weekend," remarked the Republic's caretaker boss. "Certainly, I would expect that we'll have made our decision by then. After that, it's a question of how the logistics get worked out."

Bookmaker-inspired speculation continues as to whose name will be put to the board, with that of Giovanni Trapattoni doing the rounds yesterday before being picked up by Sky television in both Britain and Italy.

Givens, though, confirmed that the 68-year-old Italian, currently in charge of Red Bull Salzburg, is not in contention for the post.

"I've heard he's the new favourite, but how many are we going to have?" he said. "When I see that story (Sky were reporting that the former Milan, Inter and Juventus boss was 'in talks with the FAI' about taking the job) I find it absolutely amazing because we haven't spoken to Trapattoni and I find it rather hard to believe that the FAI are going behind our backs."

While a number of other candidates are still considered to be dark horses for the job, Terry Venables remains the frontrunner to land the €1 million per annum post on what would be, initially at least, a two-year deal.

It has been suggested that Andy Townsend might be part of his management team and there is certainly a desire with the FAI that there be an Irish element to the new line-up.

The FAI has not been yet said that a decision is imminent, but a spokesman for the association said yesterday that, despite the fact that David Blood and John Delaney are due to spend the next few days in Zagreb at a Uefa Congress, a board meeting could be called at short notice or, if the situation required it, the matter could be dealt with by phone.

A more likely scenario, however, is that the board will meet over the weekend, probably Sunday, ahead of the association's annual awards ceremony at Citywest with a public unveiling to be scheduled for the start of next week.

Givens, meanwhile, has played down the significance of comments made by Stephen Ireland to the effect that he was sorry to be missing the Brazil game and that he remained committed to playing for his country in the future.

In an interview, Ireland said: "I want to play for my country and that has never been in doubt in my mind. Pulling on the green jersey is something that is very close to my heart."

Ireland criticises Givens for not getting in touch prior to naming his squad last week for the Brazil game and suggested the under-21 manager bore a grudge over a problem that arose at the Madeira tournament a couple of years back.

The manager dismissed the idea that the matter was a personal one. "It's not about Stephen and me, that's nonsense . . . if any other player in the squad had behaved the way he has then I'd have expected the same thing, that they get in touch to say they want to play again.

"I mean, what he's supposed to have said here is all in a newspaper and what am I supposed to do? Treat everything that appears in a paper as fact and act on it?

"The fact is that this is no big deal if he's sincere in what he's saying. If he wants to come back and play then there's an easy way to do it, just pick up the phone to me and he'd be in the squad tomorrow."