The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has denied claims of gender discrimination made by the former Republic of Ireland head coach Eileen Gleeson.
Gleeson is taking legal proceedings against the FAI, stating that she was pushed into switching roles from the FAI head of women’s and girls’ football to replace Vera Pauw as the senior women’s coach in September 2023.
The 53-year-old also claims that the FAI breached her right to equal pay as the Ireland men’s head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson receives an annual salary that is more than six times the women’s manager’s pay of €100,000. The allegations were first reported in the Sunday Independent.
“The Football Association of Ireland treats all matters of alleged discrimination within Irish football with the utmost seriousness,” the FAI responded by email. “Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the association cannot comment on any allegations but refutes claims made in a reported case and are currently preparing a strong legal defence as part of the court proceedings.
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“With the development of women and girls’ football over recent years, the association has made significant investment into overall standards that has led to progress both on and off the pitch. The association is committed to making continued improvements to help strengthen and grow the game, across all levels.”
The FAI has confirmed two security issues involving the women’s squad in September 2023, including when Gleeson had to “physically intervene” when a member of the public attempted to assault a player in Dublin Airport. The second required a call to police in Budapest when a man followed players around the team hotel before entering the squad’s medical room wearing a bathrobe.
Having previously had no security in camp before home and away internationals, the FAI subsequently appointed one security guard. The Ireland men’s team travel with three security personnel.
The women’s team have also been upgraded to Dublin Airport’s platinum private check-in and lounge.
The FAI note that the budget for the women’s squad increased by over 400 per cent since 2019, while Gleeson’s complaint about teammates sharing rooms led to every player getting a single room in the Castleknock Hotel.
They have also introduced business-class flights for players travelling long distance to play for Ireland, like the US-based pair Denise O’Sullivan and Kyra Carusa.
The association also confirmed that the current women’s head coach Carla Ward appointed two performance analysts, after Gleeson stated that she did the job herself before being replaced by the former Aston Villa coach following Ireland’s failure to qualify for Euro 2025.
“If we won [the playoff against Wales], Eileen Gleeson would be running for president,” said Julie-Ann Russell, the recently retired Ireland player. “It is mad how a result changes everything. What Eileen did was unbelievable. We lose a game and she is gone.”
The senior leadership of the organisation is due before the Oireachtas joint-committee on Sport on September 26th with chief executive David Courell due to brief the media on September 12th.
Gleeson remains an employee of the FAI as the head of football strategic insights and planning.
