Tony Cascarino and officials at Merrion Square are sure to sleep a little easier tonight, following FIFA’s announcement that they are to take no action against the player or association following the record caps holder’s claims that he played for the side illegally.
In an interview with RTE Radio, FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren claimed: "The whole incident looks like a "so what?" situation. It's a thing of the past now. There's no need for us to go back into it."
Cascarino, who won a record 88 Irish caps, shocked the nation with the revelations from his new autobiography, "Full Time: The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino". In the book, he admitted that he learned four years ago he was not qualified to play for Ireland, following his mother’s declaration that she was adopted as a child, which meant he could no longer rely on his Mayo-born grandfather to qualify.
Cascarino, an integral part of the Ireland squad for the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, said his mother told him only in 1996 that she was adopted and his Irish 'grandfather' was not her natural father, and thus, not a blood relative of the player. By that stage Cascarino's application for an Irish passport was about to be completed and he decided to keep quiet about the fact he had no real Irish roots. Cascarino went on to win a further 24 caps for his country.
FIFA's Herren said that Cascarino had been awarded his passport and as such the Football Association of Ireland had been right to regard him as eligible to play for them.
Filed by Shane Murray
