Shelbourne FC have announced manager Damien Duff has extended his stay at the club.
The club said in a statement the extension “reaffirms the club’s commitment in Duff’s ambitious vision for the future.”
Since taking over the newly promoted Shelbourne at the end of 2021, he guided the Reds to a seventh place finish in 2022 and a first FAI final appearance in over a decade, before improving to fourth place this season, with a chance of playing in Europe depending on the result of tomorrow’s FAI Cup final.
His backroom staff Joey O’Brien, David McAllister, Paul Skinner, Mauro Martins and Mark Cornish have also put pen to paper on new contracts with the club.
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Duff said Shelbourne is a “Dublin institution”.
“It is built on hard work, respect, humility and honesty. This can never be lost. See you in Tolka soon, UTFR,” he said.
It comes after concerns around the future of Duff as manager, the Irish shareholders at the club were to buy back the 60 per cent stake bought by Turkish billionaire Acun Ilicali last June.
An arrangement has been agreed with Ilicali’s representative at Hull City, where the 54-year-old also holds a majority share, for Premier Sports founder Mickey O’Rourke to take control of Shels.
The Turkish media magnate only took control of the Drumcondra club five months ago, when it was agreed that €3 million would be invested to turn Shels into the leading League of Ireland side by the end of 2024. Money already invested will not have to be paid back.
Whether European football is attained next year or not, the O’Rourke-led group of the board of directors have seen the value of securing Duff on a long-term deal.
