It could be that this will be one of the deepest cuts of all with the Irish Independent reporting this morning that John Delaney will play no official role in the UEFA U17 European Championship finals that get underway in Tallaght Stadium tomorrow.

Delaney has stepped aside from his role with the FAI pending the various investigations currently underway but he remains as Chair of the UEFA Youth and Amateur Football Committee which is the one with responsibility for these Championships.

On that basis, there would have been a role for him but the Independent is quoting a UEFA source which says that “the tournament will proceed with alternative FAI and UEFA officials.”

It still must be a likelihood that Delaney will attend at least some of the tournament, most likely the game between the Republic of Ireland and the Czech Republic at the Regional Sports centre in Waterford on Monday.

Ireland open the tournament with a game against Greece at Tallaght Stadium on Friday night. They return there for the third match in the group stage against Belgium on Thursday, 9th May.

In the meantime preparations for the tournament continue. Manager Colin O’Brien called up Southampton’s Roland Idowu in place of the injured Troy Parrott yesterday and FAI TV released this video of 11-year-old Clara Hogan from Wexford who won the competition to design the tournament mascot, Barry The Bodhrán.

Hogan will lead out the Irish team on Friday night.