Chung: It came as a surprise ... - Hallgrimsson appointed coach of the Republic of Ireland

GENERAL secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation Dennis Chung says 'it came as a surprise' when news broke yesterday that former Reggae Boyz head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson will now be in charge of the Republic of Ireland team.

Chung revealed that Hallgrimsson, upon tendering his resignation on June 30, said he simply wanted a change of environment.

"Nothing was mentioned to us and it came as a surprise when we saw it in the papers that he actually went to another job. It also came as a surprise to learn that he was negotiating the job for a while as we were told that he just wanted a break from the Jamaican environment as it wasn't good for him," he stated.

Hallgrimsson who was appointed as head coach in 2022, ended his tenure following a disappointing Copa America tournament which saw the Reggae Boyz finishing bottom of Group B without a victory after three games.

"We are disappointed that he couldn't carry through with everything but there could have been signs that this was coming. In January he did indicate that he wanted to return to Iceland and come to Jamaica for the games. However, we didn't expect that it was because of another job that was being negotiated. We had a contract up until the 2026 World Cup, so now that this news has surfaced, a lot of things now make sense," Chung added.

An Associated Press report yesterday said Hallgrimsson replaces interim manager John O'Shea, who had been in charge since Stephen Kenny's departure last November following a disappointing qualifying campaign for Euro 2024.

Upon his appointment Hallgrimsson told reporters that he's 'excited' for his new project.

"We have a young and exciting team that has genuine potential. I am looking forward to working closely with the players to help coach and guide them towards improved performances and results ensuring we qualify and compete at major tournaments on a regular basis," he explained.

Hallgrimsson is expected to take charge of his first competitive game when Ireland play England in the Nations League on September 7 and then face Greece three days later.

The JFF is moving fast to replace the Icelander.

Chung said the JFF is in dialogue with a number of coaches around the world who are eager to coach the Reggae Boyz.

"We have to roll with the punches. The truth is we have a lot of candidates who have expressed interest in the job, about 25 from the last count and this is from around the world. We do have a good programme and I think we'll sort that out in short order," he added.