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The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) says it has accepted Stephen Kenny’s explanation of why he showed a controversial video before the team’s friendly against England, and has closed its investigation into the matter.
It is understood that Kenny showed his players the three-minute video at the team hotel before their match at Wembley on November 12, which they lost 3-0.
The video is believed to contain footage of Ireland’s footballing past, including goals against England.
However, it is also understood to contain around 30 seconds of footage focusing on Anglo / Irish political history, including footage from the 1916 Easter Rising.
The FAI began its investigation after the game, and several players were said to have felt uncomfortable with the video.
England beat Ireland 3-0 at Wembley on November 12
But on Sunday night, the FAI announced that it had concluded its investigation, saying in a statement: “Earlier this week, issues related to content shared with the Irish men’s team ahead of the recent friendly against England at Wembley were caught the attention of the FAI.
“After this development, the FAI decided that it was appropriate to investigate the matter. Since then, the FAI has had discussions with various staff members and players, including team manager Stephen Kenny.
“The board has accepted the explanations provided and considers that the matter is now closed.”
Kenny is already under pressure in his role as Ireland’s coach, even though he only replaced Mick McCarthy in April.
The former Ireland Under-21 coach has not won any of his eight games in charge, and his team has only scored once during his reign.
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