The Irish FA have shredded 18,000 match programmes printed for Saturday’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland, which contained comments on Fifa corruption by the FAI chief executive, John Delaney.
The programme has been reprinted at a cost of €10,000 (£7,200) in time for the match which kicks off at 5pm BST at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, with the new copy identical to the original – but with Delaney’s comments now erased.
His message is reported to have criticised the embattled organisation following the recent FBI investigation into Fifa corruption, and the storm around revelations that the FAI had accepted a €5m fee from Fifa following Ireland’s controversial defeat to France in a qualifying play-off for World Cup 2014.
“John Delaney was entirely unaware of this change to the programme,” the FAI said in a statement. “He had already signed off on it and it was approved for printing. The decision to delete his comments where they related to Fifa was an editorial one that was taken by the communications department, which is run by Peter Sherrard.”
The Irish Daily Mail reports Delaney’s original programme notes said: “Off the pitch there has been seismic change on the global football front with Sepp Blatter’s announcement of his resignation as Fifa President,” he is said to have written.
“That decision was a major step and allows the football world to address the need to change the culture of Fifa. It was all too obvious that the culture was one of corruption and bribery. Those who love the game have been crying out for change and now the opportunity is there.
“I have stated many times that the global body needs to adapt the attitude of accountability and transparency which has been cultivated in Uefa under the leadership of Michel Platini and I hope that Fifa can take similar steps in the right direction.”
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