The General Secretary of the PFAI, Stephen McGuinness, has accused the FAI of "point-scoring" following the "missile launch" of a statement on a wage fund for League of Ireland clubs.
McGuinness was on OTB AM discussing a press release from the FAI that outlined plans for a €300,000 assistance fund for clubs on wages, 50% of which was designated as coming from the PFAI.
However, the PFAI have since said that the first they knew of this breakdown of the funding was in the FAI's press release. They released a statement last night describing the amount as 'deeply insulting', as it constitutes less than half the annual salary of FAI Chief Executive, John Delaney.
An exasperated McGuinness spoke of a shocking lack of communications between the two bodies and believes that the FAI are "point scoring", and that this has led to a "media circus". He clarified that there had been no contact between the two bodies, and indeed that he has not met John Delaney in over two years:
"The first time we had heard of this was when I was contacted by a journalist yesterday to comment on a statement that the FAI had made.
"There has been no formal discussions with the PFAI in relation to this fund, and there has been no formal discussion with SIPTU relating to this fund."
McGuinness was exasperated as to why the FAI have seemingly engaged with SIPTU before the PFAI:
"A question here is: why are they going through SIPTU? Everybody knows that we are in the same building as the FAI - we are four doors away from them. Why would they go and discuss it with SIPTU?
"People are walking by the door of my office every day who are making these statements. And nobody wants to sit down with you and discuss it."
McGuinness said he was sceptical of the motivations behind the story, and believes the FAI have created a 'media circus'.
"It seems be a point-scoring move. I don't understand why you would come out with a statement like that when you haven't spoken to us about it.
"They have created a media circus here, without discussing it with the very body that you're setting the fund up with.
"Then you have that missile launch of a statement yesterday, and it doesn't help football at all."
McGuinness spoke of a total breakdown in communications between the two bodies, which meant that he has not spoken to Delaney in two years.
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Editor's note: Any media organisations looking to quote Stephen's interview can credit 'OTB AM'.
