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Football

03rd Nov 2023

Gus Poyet drops new hint about Ireland job as he confirms Greece exit date

Robert Redmond

gus poyet ireland

“My contract finishes in March.”

Gus Poyet has once again hinted that he would be interested in becoming Republic of Ireland manager.

The Uruguayan coach is currently the manager of Greece, who beat Ireland home and away in the Euro 2024 qualification campaign.

Following a 2-0 win over the Boys in Green last month, Poyet suggested that he would be interested in taking over at Ireland one day.

Poyet has now said that he expects to leave Greece when his contract expires in March after the team’s Euro 2024 playoff.

Surprisingly, he said he expects to exit the position even if Greece reach the tournament in Germany as he has not been offered a new deal.

Gus Poyet Ireland

Gus Poyet drops new hint about Ireland job.

“If you talk too much, they blame you, but I’m trying to be honest,” Poyet told LiveScore.

“My contract finishes in March. So, finish the [Euro 2024] play-off games and it’s over. It doesn’t matter if I qualify or not because there is no extension.

“We used to say when you’re a player, six months left on your contract and you can start looking for a job.

“Now, that is a possibility that they [Ireland] will like me, that they will contact me. That’s a different matter. I congratulated them because the atmosphere was spectacular. It was a pleasure. The future will tell.”

Stephen Kenny’s future as Ireland manager.

Ireland are currently managed by Stephen Kenny, but the former Dundalk coach appears to be on borrowed time as the team are out of contention to reach Euro 2024.

Kenny’s contract expires at the end of the campaign next month, and the FAI will reportedly look to make a change in the dugout.

Poyet is one of several coaches linked with the position, alongside Neil Lennon, Roy Keane and Damien Duff.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder also praised the atmosphere that surrounded the match between Ireland and Greece in Dublin last month.

Poyet noted how many fans were wearing Ireland tracksuits and appeared to be impressed by this.

“If you watch Uruguay and you go to a game there, you will see plenty of sky-blue shirts.

“But the tracksuit of the national team? I don’t remember many of those.

“We left the hotel prior to the game and all the way there, everybody was wearing the black tracksuit. And if not, green, obviously.

“So, to go to that game knowing it was practically impossible for them to qualify and to have that support — me, as a football person, I love it.”