The Board of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) are pleased to announce the appointment of David Courell as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Courell, from Castlebar, County Mayo, has served as Chief Operating Officer of the FAI since February 2022 and as Interim CEO of the organisation since April 2024. 

His appointment as CEO comes after an extensive recruitment process and has been unanimously ratified by the Board of the FAI. Having started his career in the UK as a Management Consultant with Deloitte, 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. 

Commenting on his appointment, 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 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 this country.” 

FAI President Paul Cooke added: “On behalf of Irish Football, I’m pleased that David has been appointed as 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 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 honour to assume the position of CEO of the FAI on a permanent basis. Ireland has a rich footballing history, and the game continues to play a significant role in 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 unrealised 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, President and the Board, General Assembly, staff, partners and our wider community to guide the Association into the future and I thank the Board of the FAI for their ongoing support.”