Vera Pauw’s four years as Republic of Ireland manager came to an end on a cold Tuesday night in Abbotstown.
After six hours of deliberations and debate, the 11-strong FAI board of directors decided to seek a new coach to lead Katie McCabe’s generation towards the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland.
No information was supplied by the FAI on Pauw’s replacement with Head of Women’s and Girl’s football Eileen Gleeson and assistant coach Tom Elms on hand to take over on an interim basis until the FAI unearth a suitable replacement.
Former Manchester United manager Casey Stoney has emerged as a potential successor. The 41-year-old English woman is currently coaching San Diego Wave, where Irish striker Kyra Carusa recently signed.
“On behalf of the Football Association of Ireland, we would like to thank Vera for her hard work and commitment over the past four years and wish her well for the future,” said Jonathan Hill, the FAI chief executive in a statement.
“In particular, I wish to acknowledge the role she played in leading Ireland to the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 where our women’s team made history and inspired a nation,” he added. “The future is bright for women and girls’ football and our focus now is building upon the work done by Vera and the historic achievements of our women’s team, which we see as a platform to support the next phase of the journey for the team, and more broadly the development of women and girls’ football in this country.”
[ Vera Pauw critical of FAI over contract delay ahead of final World Cup gameOpens in new window ]
The 60-year-old Dutch woman became only the third Irish manager, after Jack Charlton and Mick McCarthy, to secure qualification for a World Cup but losing the support of senior players before and during the tournament cast doubt over her a new two-year deal.
Pauw repeatedly stated that she wanted to keep her job but a public spat between the manager and her captain, McCabe, along with other off field distractions, ensured this was never simply a football decision.
Beginning at 4pm, FAI director of football Marc Canham provided the board with a detailed report of the entire World Cup campaign dating back to September 2021. The main contributors to Canham’s document were the players, Pauw and her management team. Hill also weighed-in. The English administrator is due to explain his decision-making process in the coming days.
The board members trickled out of FAI headquarters after 10pm while Hill remained on site to make contact with Pauw – who is believed to be at home in The Netherlands.
Negotiations between the FAI and Pauw’s representative, Ciarán Medlar from BDO, are believed to have stalled in earl summer, partly influenced by The Athletic publishing a 7,000-word report about her single season coaching Houston Dash in 2018.
Pauw contributed to The Athletic article, denying all allegations of bullying levelled at her by seven anonymous sources but McCabe stated on July 5th that the situation had become a “real negative distraction” ahead of the World Cup.
Pauw subsequently criticised McCabe – saying “she is not the coach” – in the press conference after Ireland were eliminated at the group stages. McCabe responded with a zipped mouth emoji.
Nevertheless, Pauw’s place within Irish football history is secure. The Dutch coach joins four managers – Charlton, McCarthy, Giovanni Trapattoni and Martin O’Neill - who have guided Ireland into major tournaments since 1988.
The honour of being the first person to take a senior women’s side to the World Cup will also stand the test of time but, as much as Charlton exiled David O’Leary and Mick McCarthy entered an unholy row with Roy Keane in Saipan, Pauw’s decision to turn on her skipper in Brisbane will also be remembered.
Despite this unseemly mess, her record should hold up to scrutiny, especially when the calibre of opposition chosen for friendly matches is taken into consideration. Ireland lost five out of eight games in 2023, winning just once, a 3-2 victory over Zambia.
The masterplan was to use games against USA and France to steel her defensive structure for Group A meetings with Australia, Canada and Nigeria. Despite producing competitive performances Ireland returned home with a single goal, from a McCabe corner against Canada, and two defeats.
Pauw’s compact tactics ran out of road at the highest level. Ruthless in her tunnel vision, she described the World Cup opener against Australia in Sydney as the “crowning” moment in her career. She also had no qualms about directly criticising her senior players. The skipper felt her ire as did veteran defenders who she described as “too slow” to be trusted as a back four.
Seemingly, there was no coming back from the skirmish with McCabe on the world stage.
The Nations League campaign begins against Northern Ireland at the Aviva stadium on September 23rd. It will be the first time that women’s international football will be held at Lansdowne Road.
