Donal Conway, the FAI president, asked if the media would ask “who knew what”

An unplanned FAI board meeting was held by teleconference at 10.30pm on Saturday, March 16, an hour after Delaney failed to injunct The Sunday Times from reporting on a €100,000 loan to the association in 2017.

On the call Delaney gave details of the bailout. He said he agreed to the loan when Eamon Breen, the FAI’s finance director, warned him the association could breach its bank overdraft limit.

Delaney first mentioned the loan to the full board less than two weeks previously, following a query by The Sunday Times. Cody told the rest of the board that he had been aware of the loan and was thankful the FAI did not have “bouncing cheques”.

Eddie Murray, the FAI treasurer, was not informed about the