If Sheerhan bent because of who owns him then who 'owns' the Ireland national team?

Ireland Football is owned by the Football Association of Ireland

David Courell is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), a position he assumed on a permanent basis in October 2024 after serving as Interim CEO since April of that year. Originally from Castlebar, County Mayo , Courell previously held roles as Chief Operating Officer at the FAI and Head of Business Management at the English Football Association, with extensive experience in Olympic and Paralympic sports administration.

His tenure has been marked by efforts to address the FAI’s €35 million debt and improve the national team's performance, which he noted makes Ireland the third most under-performing UEFA nation. Recently, Courell has faced significant scrutiny and player unrest regarding the decision to proceed with international fixtures against Israel in September 2026, a stance he defended as necessary to avoid sporting sanctions for Irish football.

FAI boss believes Israel games leave him in a lose-lose situation: ‘I have to do my job’

But UEFA and FIFA! And FIFA has made a lot of change and I know the vast majority of Ireland is against this. I am very empathetic to this. Please don't riot.