Eamon Dunphy was invited onto Prime Time tonight to give his view on the FIFA payments/loan business.
Ultimately, he takes a sanguine view on the affair, crediting John Delaney for having to neck to successfully get money for nothing.
But he ridicules the notion that Ireland had a legal case following the handball, and is perplexed as to why it's being dressed up that they did. If Ireland had won their 'legal case' following the events of November 15, 2009, then there'd be legal cases launched after every game in the Premier League.
He said the behaviour of FIFA reminded him of the Sopranos. It wasn't the threat of legal action merely a desire to get the Irish to stop annoying them that prompted the payment.
I think it suggests it was a bit late to the Sopranos. Tony decides that this fella is annoying me, he is giving me grief. He reaches for the cheque book, signs the cheque. There's $5m, we'll make it a loan. If you don't qualify for the next World Cup, will you shut up?
And John Delaney took it.
If John Delaney was chancing his arm, and I think he was, then I think most Irish people would say fair play to him provided the money went into Irish soccer.
He said the main concern for Irish fans will be where the money went.
