Vera Pauw has been appointed Republic of Ireland manager and tasked with the nation’s first ever qualification for the UEFA European Women’s Championships.
Pauw attended last night’s #WEURO2021 Qualifier win against Montenegro in an observer’s role and takes up her new position with immediate effect after Tom O’Connor took charge of the opening game in Tallaght Stadium.
Capped 89 times by the Netherlands, Pauw was the first Dutch woman to play professionally outside her country when she signed for Italian side Modena in 1988. A renowned coach who is an instructor with FIFA and UEFA, the 56-year-old Pauw began her management career with Scotland in 1998 before she led the Netherlands to the European Championship Semi-Finals in 2009.
Since then she has managed the national teams in Russia and South Africa and worked as an advisor to the Thailand FA. Pauw also coached the Houston Dash for a season in the United States.
Speaking to Fai.ie, Vera Pauw said:
“I am very excited at the prospect of managing the Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team for the remainder of this European Championship campaign and I believe we can achieve very positive results together.
“I was impressed with what I saw versus Montenegro and I want to wish Tom well for his future career and thank him for the excellent job he has done with the Ireland team in recent weeks.”
FAI General Manager Noel Mooney added:
“We are delighted to welcome Vera Pauw as our new Senior National Team Manager for what is a crucial period in the women’s game in Ireland. Our objective in making this appointment was very clear – to find the best manager to lead our talented squad to EURO 2021 in England while continuing to build sustainable growth in the high-performance sector of the women’s game.”
Welcoming the appointment, FAI High Performance Director Ruud Dokter said:
“Vera is a top-class manager who will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our Women’s National Team while contributing to a healthier women’s game in Ireland.”
