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"This is not anti-FAI" - Niall Quinn on blueprint for Irish football

Niall Quinn has addressed his blueprint for Irish soccer at our National Concert Hall show. The f...
Raf Diallo
Raf Diallo

20.37 18 Feb 2019


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"This is not anti-FAI" - Niall Quinn on blueprint for Irish football


Raf Diallo
Raf Diallo

20.37 18 Feb 2019


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Niall Quinn has addressed his blueprint for Irish soccer at our National Concert Hall show.

The former Ireland international was on stage alongside fellow Virgin Media pundits Graeme Souness, Brian Kerr and Kevin Kilbane.

And he touched on his vision for the game in this country.

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"I know the FAI have something going on with Deloitte at the moment with the clubs to say how it might get better," he said.

"Well, what our group is doing is we have another group as well known as Deloitte to look at it independently and see what can match up.

"The very fabric of football is in question here"

"This is not anti-FAI or against the FAI. This is to go in and increase the voice. So this is not a fight with the FAI."

He added that "the very fabric of football is in question here in this country".

"We're only going to get worse and worse - the Declan Rice thing and what that threw up about players born away from here and that really hurts. But you know what really hurts, and I got some great information from a guy about the players who have stayed at home, trying to get into Under-17, Under-19 teams, Under-21 teams," he said.

"Over the last 30 years, they get to play in the odd friendly. But the amount of players who are just in an academy in England. Just because they got to an academy, get to come and play in matches. It means the aspirations here are stemmed already. Until we stop that... I've great faith that Stephen Kenny will do his bit to stop that. But there has to be more."

He reiterated that "there's no row with the FAI" and added that he has met with FAI director of competitions Fran Gavin.

 


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Brian Kerr Football Graeme Souness Ireland Kevin Kilbane Niall Quinn Off The Ball Soccer Virgin Media Ireland

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