Three male coaches have been issued standing down orders by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). This comes after authorities confirmed they are investigating allegations made regarding unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate relationships.
The allegations are all historic and relate to the 1990s. The gardaí confirmed this Thursday that they are also now in contact with other potential victims. A standing down order restricts the men accused from any involvement in any official football activities, but only with regards to Irish football specifically.
The news broke this week after an investigation by RTÉ. The RTÉ are also planning to follow this up with a documentary that will air this Sunday, July 6th. The documentary will feature several people involved in women’s football in Ireland that have allegedly been subject to abuse and unwanted sexual advances by male coaches.
Paul Cooke, the FAI president issued a statement on Thursday confirming there would be an ‘upcoming media story relating to a series of allegations of historical abuse of women involved in football in the 1990s’.
“You may see the story over the coming days and I wanted to give you the reassurance that the association is treating this matter with the utmost importance and is engaging both with the women involved and the relevant authorities,” he said.
Cooke later added that ‘all safeguarding concerns that are brought to the attention of the association are dealt with as a matter of priority’. The allegations were first reported to the FAI in March 2024, but have only been made public due to the media investigation. The male coaches in question have denied the allegations.
