Irish showjumping team manager Rodrigo Pessoa has told The Irish Field newspaper that he may have to consider his position after a backroom row led to the resignation of High Performance chairman Gerry Mullins.
Mullins was only appointed to the role in January and was tasked with taking the team to Olympic success at the Tokyo Games in 2020, but recently resigned claiming that there was "unnecessary interference".
"It is a very toxic situation," said Mullins, speaking in The Irish Field: "In my mind, somebody has orchestrated this.
"Something very good is happening in Irish equestrian sport and many teams abroad are trying to copy HSI High Performance. We have a strong group of people.
"I was forced into making a decision to resign because I felt the possibility of us being able to continue the good work was going to be lessened by unnecessary interference."
Pessoa's departure would surely prove a major setback for the team, who were crowned European champions in August, and with 2018 being an Olympic qualifying year.
Pessoa said: "I must say I am very unhappy, that’s a fact. There had been some problems internally with Gerry, with Horse Sport Ireland, some power fights which led to the resignation of Gerry, which was maybe jumping the gun a little but maybe he thought it was the right thing to do at the time.
"I put a lot of thought into this. I have to think about my position, it’s a natural feeling. My heart is with this team, but it’s not a secret that I have been approached by others in the fall (autumn). I really wish I didn’t have to, but I have to reconsider."
