Trapattoni calm on future after triumph

A bullish Giovanni Trapattoni was planning for the future after seeing the Republic of Ireland cruise to victory in the Faroe Islands.

The 73-year-old Italian started the day fighting for his job as Ireland manager amid claims that the Football Association were ready to ditch him in the wake of Friday night's 6-1 drubbing by Germany at the Aviva Stadium. But after witnessing a spirited response as his players ran out 4-1 winners at the Torsvollur Stadium, he refused to contemplate his exit.

Asked if he expected to be manager for the rest of the campaign, Trapattoni said: "We have in November another game. I expect. We started three games ago - we have won two games, we have lost one against the best team [in Group C]. It's not my decision."

He added: "I know what I can do, but it's not my decision. I don't have a problem. For me, it's my job. I say always I am proud to be the manager of this team with these players.

"We have discovered many, many young players in the last three years and sometimes we can lose. Football is like this."

The speculation reached fever pitch before kick off in Torshavn when it emerged that Trapattoni's usual post-match de-brief, which was scheduled for Wednesday evening in Dublin, had been cancelled. However, Trapattoni revealed he was returning early to Italy for personal reasons.

"I have a meeting in Italy, and my sister is in hospital and I am not sure how serious it is, so I would like to return," he said.

However, with Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney having declined to comment on Trapattoni's position both before and after Tuesday night's game, the rumour mill was still churning.

Asked if he expected to meet Delaney or any other FAI official in the coming days, he said: "No, absolutely not. I'm not aware of the suggestions, but I am a serious professional and I have worked at big clubs with 100 per cent responsibility.

"That's my professional seriousness. In other countries, people know Trapattoni is a professional man, and that is a great honour. There is a very simple sentence in my history: the winners has 100 fathers, the losers are orphans. Football associations change like the wind, they can change in a second."