FAI to contact Anthony Barry over vacant Ireland manager job after Tuchel news

THE FAI is expected to make fresh contact with Anthony Barry over the Ireland job.

In December, Thomas Tuchel ruled out the possibility of his assistant leaving Bayern Munich to succeed Stephen Kenny, under whom Barry had worked.

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In fact, the Englishman had already signalled to the FAI that he had no interest in filling the vacancy himself.

But it was announced on Wednesday morning that Tuchel will leave the German giants at the end of the season which will prompt a call to see if that remains the case given his circumstances will soon change.

Bayern lie second in the Bundesliga eight points behind Bayer Leverkeusen and trail Lazio 1-0 after the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash.

With Barry – whom Tuchel brought with him from Chelsea – expected to go too, he will be on the lookout for a new job.

And with the FAI refusing to discount the possibility of having an interim manager in charge for the March friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland, the timing could suit.

There are further friendlies arranged against Hungary on June 4 – three days after the Champions League final – and Portugal a week later.

The new manager’s first competitive game will be against England in the Nations on September 7.

Barry, 37, is well thought of within the FAI from his 12 months working with Kenny and would fit the bill in terms of the training-ground coach they are seeking to appoint.

He succeeded Damien Duff in February 2021 but stepped down to take on a similar role with Belgium.

He followed Roberto Martinez to Portugal in March of last year, leaving Chelsea a month later to link up with Tuchel again at Bayern.

But it is unclear if the midfielder is ready to take on his first job as a head coach and whether the Ireland job would appeal given he is unlikely to be short on offers.

The FAI has been frustrated in its efforts to persuade Lee Carsley to leave his job as England under-21 coach to take the reins with Neil Lennon and Chris Coleman ruled out of contention in recent days.