The Football Association of Ireland have hit out at FIFA president Sepp Blatter for making public details of private discussions over the nation's bid for World Cup justice.
FAI chiefs today revealed they had asked yesterday that their request for the Republic of Ireland to be included as the 33rd team at next summer's finals not be raised at today's meeting of the governing body's executive committee in Cape Town.
A statement said: "The Football Association of Ireland acknowledges that the suggestion of an additional place at the World Cup is not a possibility and has requested yesterday that it will not be raised at today's FIFA executive committee meeting.
"The FAI has already clarified that this matter was peripheral, was not raised in any of its formal written submissions to FIFA, and was explored only fleetingly as part of a wide-ranging 90-minute discussion with that body.
"Regrettably, the matter appears to have been singled out in public by Mr Blatter despite his assurances that the meeting would remain private."
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A statement said: "The Football Association of Ireland acknowledges that the suggestion of an additional place at the World Cup is not a possibility and has requested yesterday that it will not be raised at today's FIFA executive committee meeting.
"The FAI has already clarified that this matter was peripheral, was not raised in any of its formal written submissions to FIFA, and was explored only fleetingly as part of a wide-ranging 90-minute discussion with that body.
"Regrettably, the matter appears to have been singled out in public by Mr Blatter despite his assurances that the meeting would remain private."
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