James McClean has spoken out this evening ahead of rumoured protests from Ireland supporters regarding John Delaney's situation within the FAI. McClean has slammed the rumoured protests and queried the point of fans throwing tennis balls onto the Aviva pitch.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McClean called the rumoured protests "stupid" and "pointless".
"What does it achieve? Throwing a tennis ball on the pitch, what does it achieve? I think it's pointless. You see it happen a few times in games.
I think it's stupid. You're just disrupting the game. I don't see any benefit to it whatsoever.
It's just a disruptance, an annoyance."
There have been rumours on Ireland fan forums all week that tennis balls would be flung on the Aviva pitch tonight as fans express their anger at John Delaney's continuing role in the FAI. On Saturday, John Delaney resigned as FAI CEO to take on the role of FAI Executive Vice President. Delaney has been engulfed in controversy after the Sunday Times revealed two weeks ago that the former FAI CEO had loaned the FAI €100,000 in 2017.
McClean remains the most outspoken member of the Ireland team. He was again critical this week of Declan Rice for his decision to opt-out of the Ireland team and play for England. This is the first time we can remember McClean criticising Ireland fans, who regularly serenade him with chants like 'James McClean, he hates the fucking queen'.
