Pauw exit not a 'player power move' - PFAI chief

The FAI's decision not to renew Vera Pauw’s contract as Republic of Ireland manager had nothing to do with player power, according to PFAI general secretary Stephen McGuinness.

Despite leading Ireland to a maiden Women’s World Cup, speculation had been growing in recent weeks that the Dutch woman’s tenure would be brought to an end.

On Tuesday the association confirmed that they would be going in a new direction after a board meeting where a full report on the team's World Cup qualification campaign and the tournament itself was discussed, with Eileen Gleeson appointed interim head coach.

Allegations, denied by the 60-year-old, of shaming players for their weight and attempted to exert excessive control over their eating habits during her time at Houston Dash dominated the build-up to the tournament, while a group stage exit was compounded by strained relations with the players, culminating with an on-field disagreement with captain Katie McCabe.

RTÉ soccer analyst Paul Corry believes that Pauw simply lost the dressing room and while the PFAI played no part in the FAI review, McGuinness insists that the decision was based on speaking to all stakeholders, rather than a player heave against the manager.

"Everybody was given an input into this report," he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

"The decision was made that Vera wasn’t going to be able to sustain the success that she has had. In social media, people have been pointing fingers, but in the mainstream, I think everybody knows this isn’t a player-power move.

"This is a move by the FAI who see that the long-term success of the team needs somebody to bring it on from where it is now."

McGuinness acknowledged that Pauw did an "incredible" job in the role, but that having gauged