Ireland's soccer manager Giovanni Trapattoni said yesterday he had agreed to a pay cut in the region of €100,000 per annum, because of financial difficulties with the Irish body that governs soccer, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).

He had met with FAI Chief Executive John Delaney recently.

“We spoke with John maybe two weeks ago,” he said "John spoke with me and said: ‘The FAI has a problem, what do you think about agreeing to reduce your agreement because of this situation?’

“I said that we could discuss this and accept it, also Marco (Tardelli) and the staff. I think this is right.”


Trapattoni’s salary is believed to be €1.8 million a year.

“This isn’t something that was forced by either party,” said Delaney, who stated he too had taken a “significant” pay cut.

“It was discussed and it was very simply agreed, I think maybe, in 30 seconds, to be honest with you . . . When someone has a contract they can keep you to it if they want to but he wanted to come here today and show his solidarity with the rest of the staff.”

Minister for Sport Mary Hanafin welcomed Trapattoni’s gesture and said others should copy. “There are people in this country who are earning over half a million – €1.8 million in Giovanni Trapattoni’s case – and there’s absolutely no justification for those high levels at all.”