The Football Association of Ireland have announced they will not be renewing Vera Pauw’s contract.
The Dutch football coach, 60, led Ireland to a first-ever Women’s World Cup this summer.
On Tuesday evening, the 11-strong FAI board of directors decided to seek a new coach to lead the team towards the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland.
In a statement, FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill said: “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.”
“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.”
“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 released by the FAI.
Most successful manager in the history of the Ireland women’s team will not have her contract renewed.
— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) August 29, 2023
Head of Women’s and Girl’s football Eileen Gleeson and assistant coach Tom Elms will take over from Vera on an interim basis until the FAI find a suitable replacement.
It comes after Ireland captain Katie McCabe hinted at tension between her and Vera after the team’s final World Cup clash.
During the second-half of the match against Nigeria, McCabe called for “fresh legs” on her side of the pitch, which Pauw ignored.
According to the manager, McCabe had asked for Sinead Farrelly to be taken off.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Pauw said: “Why would we change? If Katie McCabe says that she wants a change that doesn’t mean… She’s not the coach, eh? Everybody was doing so well. I said ‘what do you want Katie, take our best player off?’
“We made the changes when they were necessary.”
The manager said she had no problem with Katie’s request, but insisted she would always make the final decision.
“A player is allowed to be emotional, is allowed to say that, it’s fine. But during the game, I step back and analyse and make changes that are necessary.”
When asked again if she refused McCabe’s call, Pauw told the Irish Times: “No, no, no, because a player doesn’t ask and you refuse.”
“A player can ask always, but as a coach it’s not a refusal, as a coach you make decisions on what is necessary. A player can say anything to the coach, at least to me.”
Katie later tweeted the emoji of a mouth zipped shut, which fans believe was a thinly-veiled dig at Pauw.
🤐
— Katie McCabe (@Katie_McCabe11) July 31, 2023
