Ireland close to O'Neill-Keane deal

The Football Association of Ireland said Tuesday it was close to appointing Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane as the new management duo in charge of the Republic of Ireland national side. Since Giovanni Trapattoni left in September the Republic have been without a full-time manager. But the intervening months have seen former Northern Ireland international O'Neill, out of football since being sacked by Premier League strugglers Sunderland in March, a likely replacement for the veteran Italian. Meanwhile former Republic skipper Keane -- who infamously walked out on his country as a player at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea after clashing with the manager Mick McCarthy -- has also been tipped to serve as O'Neill's assistant. That the two men, who both played under legendary manager Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, were poised to take over was confirmed by a statement on the FAI's Twitter feed on Tuesday, which said: "We can confirm that the management appointment process with Martin O'Neill & Roy Keane is at an advanced stage. Updates from àFAIreland today." Trapattoni spent five years in charge of the side and took them to a play-off clash with France where only William Gallas's goal, controversially created by Thierry Henry's handball, denied the Republic a place at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. Trapattoni did though take the side to Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, only for the Republic to be beaten by Croatia, Spain and Italy as they returned home without having won a single point. He then began the business of trying to take the Republic to the next World Cup but a 6-1 thrashing by Germany nearly a year ago was one of several results that meant they missed out on a place at Brazil 2014. O'Neill and Keane, who also had a spell as Sunderland manager, are now set to be in charge for the Republic's friendly against Latvia in Dublin on November 15. Source: AFP