Soccer

Vera Pauw signs contract extension to lead Ireland’s World Cup bid

The 58-year-old Dutch native has had a positive impact since arriving in 2019

Ireland women’s manager Vera Pauw has signed a contract extension. Photo: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

Emmet Malone's face
Emmet Malone
Mon Feb 22 2021 - 12:38

Republic of Ireland women’s team manager Vera Pauw has signed a new two-year deal with the FAI, a move means that she will oversee the campaign to qualify for the World Cup in 2023.

Pauw was first appointed in September 2019 and is regarded as having done well during her first campaign in charge although the team failed to make the European Championship playoffs, mainly due to disappointing results away to Greece and Ukraine.

After her side’s final group game, against Germany in December, she expressed confidence that Ireland would be better this time around and could make it to a major championship for the very first time although her own future was uncertain at that point as she had reservations about committing to a new term for family reasons.

Those appear to have been address and now, she says, “I’m excited to continue. Since first coming into the role, I have enjoyed tremendous support from everyone at the FAI to help the growth of the game. And the guidance of High Performance Director Ruud Dokter has been central to that.

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“The support network of the staff has also been hugely influential in everything we have achieved so far. Eileen Gleeson and Jan Willem van Ede (both of whom have also signed new deals) have been so important in helping us prepare for every training session, every game and everything we do in creating the best possible environment for the players.

“It is the same with our backroom staff, from medical, performance analysis, operations, through to media, we work together as a team to help the team. I cannot speak highly enough of their commitment and passion for helping us to improve every day.

“Now it is about preparing for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers. I believe that we have a special group of players with a desire to become the first Ireland women’s senior team to qualify for a major tournament and I’m looking forward to being part of that.”

Jonathan Hill, the association’s chief executive, says he is “delighted,” with the agreement. “This is a significant step in the development not just of our national team but for women’s football in Ireland overall.”

The qualifying draw for the 2023 Women’s World Cup will take place on April 30th with the games set to kick off in September.