David Courell in command of FAI



Linkedin
Twitter

New FAI CEO confirmed Image: Football Association of Ireland

The Board of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have announced the appointment of David Courell as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FAI.

‘FAI’ stated that Courell, from Castlebar, County Mayo (Ireland), has served as the Chief Operating Officer of (COO) of the FAI since February 2022 and as the Interim CEO of the organization since April 2024.

Dublin (Ireland)-based the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is the governing body of football in the Republic of Ireland. Today, over 450,000 people are involved in Irish football either playing with clubs and schools or being involved as coaches, officials and volunteers. The role of the Association is to promote, foster and develop this activity.

‘FAI’ further stated that his appointment as the CEO comes after an extensive recruitment process and has been unanimously ratified by the Board of the FAI. Having started his career in the United Kingdom (UK) as a Management Consultant with Deloitte (a British multinational professional services network), David moved into the sports industry working in senior roles across Olympic and Paralympic sport and had been working with the English Football Association (The FA) prior to moving back to Ireland with his family in 2022 to take up his initial role with the FAI.

London (UK)-based The Football Association or The FA is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in its territory.

Commenting on his appointment, the Independent Chair of the Board of the FAI, Tony Keohane, said, “Following a thorough process, we are delighted to confirm David as the new CEO of the Association. His tenure as the Interim CEO has shown him to be a respected and collaborative leader with a deep understanding of what is required to keep Irish Football moving forward into the future. Along with the rest of the Board and the leadership team, I am confident that under his leadership we will make real progress in fulfilling the potential of the sport in Ireland.”

Added Paul Cooke, FAI President, “On behalf of Irish Football, I’m pleased that David has been appointed as the CEO. We have already seen the benefit that his leadership and guidance has brought to the Association in the past number of months, in particular the positive relationships that have been built upon with the key political and football stakeholders. I look forward to working with him as we continue to build a positive future for Ireland’s biggest participation sport.”

Following the announcement of his appointment, David Courell commented, “It is an honor to assume the position of the CEO of the FAI on a permanent basis. Ireland has a rich footballing history and the game continues to play a significant role in the Irish society engaging more than 400,000 people every year. In saying that I came home two years ago as I felt that Irish Football had huge unrealized potential and that I could play my part in unlocking it. In working with the brilliant staff we have at the Association and through embedding myself in the Irish football community that belief has only strengthened. While there is a lot to do, we also have a lot to celebrate and build upon. I look forward to working with our Chair, the President and the Board, the General Assembly, the staff, the partners, and our wider community to guide the Association into the future and I thank the Board of the FAI for their ongoing support.”

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

Watch 380 member-exclusive videos with valuable tips for your venue



« Previous News:
» Next News:


Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement