Even virtual meeting rooms have elephants.

The FAI’s Sunday lunchtime online AGM passed off without much incident, with delegates appearing to be broadly satisfied by a presentation from new FAI CEO Jonathan Hill outlining a sketch of a new strategic vision for 2022-2025 that will be formally launched next January after a consultation process that brings them around the country.

It is built around six pillars; driving grassroots, creating pathways for all, developing the full potential of the women’s game and setting targets under the League of Ireland, international and facilities headings.

There’s an element of crossover and Hill acknowledged details could be changed by discussions, but interesting nuggets such as a commitment to explore a full-time League of Ireland academy structure to respond to post-Brexit realities were met with obvious questions as regards funding.

With debts remaining around the €65m mark and Covid continuing to play havoc with short-term projections, the picture remains challenging.

Indeed, Hill confirmed the FAI has looked for considerable state relief to cover 2021 costs. Last year, they requested over €19m and received around €13.2m. This year’s ask is in the €35m to €40m ballpark.

Relations with government have improved, but they are unlikely to receive the full amount. Still, recent comments from Taoiseach Micheal Martin indicating that the state would ‘step up to the plate’ if the FAI showed a desire to prioritise youth development did not go unnoticed. Hill said the FAI would be following up on that in future discussions.

With Irish players now unable to go to English clubs at 16, the need to develop a full-time industry at that level is pressing. There are just six full-time employees in League of Ireland academies, a grim statistic.

“All of that will need investment and we are looking to balance our current financial situation against our strategic plans and initiatives and engaging government to help us do that makes absolute sense,” said Hill.    

FIFA and UEFA will also be important partners, but local and national authorities will be to the forefront in driving the facilities side of things. The amount of work which needs to be done on the academy end of things makes it more realistic that 2022-2025 is a window for agreeing the best strategy as opposed to enacting it.

A successful international team is always an important revenue driver and Hill and independent chair Roy Barrett are hopeful Aviva crowds of 20,000-25,000 could become viable in the autumn. Stephen Kenny’s contract officially ends next July but his standing will likely be determined by games between now and the end of the year, although Hill was reluctant to get drawn into that. 

He conceded that calendar shifts brought about by Covid have led to an unusual end date for Kenny’s current deal as the next UEFA Nations League campaign will already be underway by then. The strategic plan targets qualification for at least every second major tournament for men and women’s teams.

“We know that it is more difficult in practical terms to qualify for FIFA events than UEFA events at the moment,” said Hill, with a nod to the limited European places on offer in a 32-team World Cup. 

That competition is set to increase to 48 teams from 2026 and, of course, Ireland remain involved in a feasibility study about co-hosting four years later with their British neighbours. Barrett conceded recent scenes at Wembley around the Euros finale weren’t ideal, but said nothing had changed with the 2030 bid. “It’s just one input of many that we will have to consider and reflect on,” he said.

Like their main strategy, it may all rely on factors outside of their control.