Decade of decline as Ireland freefalling down rankings

The Republic of Ireland qualified for consecutive tournaments at Euro 2012 and 2016, which might suggest that it was a golden era for the game in the country; however, it was midway between the two that Ireland sank to their lowest ever position since the FIFA rankings began in 1992.

Remarkably, Ireland were ranked sixth on the list in that very first edition in 1992, coming off the back of the actual golden era, when narrowly missing out in a place in the Euro 88 semi-finals, and reaching the quarter-finals of Italia 90.

In fact, Ireland comfortably remained inside the top 15 until the end of qualification for Euro 96, when they lost a play-off to the Netherlands at Anfield.

That game signalled the end of the Jack Charlton era and it could be said that the health of the game – in FIFA terms at least – has never been the same since. Likewise, it had never seen such spotlight before the genial Geordie came to town in 1986.

Three years later, Ireland were back outside the top 50 having missed out on the 1998 World Cup, however, the run to Japan and Korea saw Mick McCarthy's charges continually rise up to 13th.

But without tournament football for the following decade, the nation again dropped out of the top 50 and were rarely higher than 30th until qualification for Poland and Ukraine brought them back on the European radar.

In 2012, Ireland had a management team that would not look out of place at any top club or country in the world as decorated player and manager Giovanni Trapattoni and former World Cup winner Marco Tardelli were employed.

No player in the Ireland squad came close to the profile that they possessed as the management team's wages were part funded by businessman Denis O’Brien.

Trapattoni signed a new contract