Irish chiefs dismiss Keane ‘assault’ reports (AFP)

Republic of Ireland football chiefs came to the defence of assistant manager Roy Keane late Wednesday following reports that he had allegedly attacked a member of the public outside the team’s hotel 48 hours before their European Championship qualifier against Scotland. The FAI said Keane had their “full support” after reports of the incident, said to have taken place outside the luxury Links Hotel in Portmarnock, north Dublin, appeared on the websites of several British and Irish newspapers. “Following inaccurate media reports which refer to an incident involving a member of the public this evening at the Republic of Ireland team hotel, we wish to clarify that Roy Keane called the Gardai (Irish police) following the incident,” a statement issued by the FAI said.