'Poyet has rejected Ireland contract offer' - Greek media
Greek media have claimed that Gus Poyet has turned down the Ireland job as he awaits news on a contract extension.
The former Brighton and Sunderland manager had expressed his interest in the vacancy, even before Stephen Kenny was dismissed in November.
He led Greece to victories over Kenny’s Ireland in the Euro campaign but their dreams of reaching Germany were ended on Tuesday night by losing in the playoffs to surprise packets Georgia.
The FAI have refused to comment on the claim, short of reaffirming their intention to reveal the manager’s identity in April.
A confluence of factors has kept the 56-year-old’s name in the mix to assume the Ireland job on a permanent basis.
His public declarations, closeness to interim manager John O’Shea from their time together at Sunderland, and the fact his contract ends has spiked speculation.
The FAI’s director of football Marc Canham appointed O’Shea as caretaker boss for last week’s double-header friendly against Belgium and Switzerland as he awaited the preferred candidate to complete “existing contractual obligations”.
According to reputable local media outlet novasports.gr., Poyet has spurned the FAI’s advances of a five-year contract.
They claim he ultimately responded negatively to a demand for a final answer within two days and that “specific conditions” couldn’t be agreed upon.
The debt-ridden FAI have openly admitted they are constrained by budgetary factors, the head coach’s salary understood to be around the same as the €560,000 Kenny’s package rose to.
An overwhelming degree of support from his players despite their shock defeats has applied pressure on the Greek FA to offer Poyet a contract extension. A meeting of the federation is due next week to decide on his
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