GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI and his employers have both emphatically denied Italian media reports yesterday the 71-year-old had suffered a minor stroke while undergoing surgery on his carotid artery just after Christmas.

It was always acknowledged by the newspapers making the claims the Ireland manager had recovered quickly and he is now in good health.

In a statement issued through the FAI yesterday, however, Trapattoni was quoted as dismissing the suggestion he had had any form of stroke at all.

“I had a scheduled operation to clean the carotid artery on December 28th in Milan,” he says. “I am recovering well and expect to return to work in the coming weeks. Contrary to media speculation, I can confirm that I have not suffered a stroke. I will be in Ireland on January 24th to announce my squad for the Nations Cup match against Wales on February 8th.”

The association’s chief medical officer, Dr Alan Byrne, said later that after talking with both Trapattoni and the doctor who carried out the operation he could “absolutely confirm that he didn’t have a stroke. He left the hospital walking. I can assure you that the boss is fit and well.”

The aim of the sort of surgery Trapattoni underwent is to clear the arteries where they have narrowed so as to minimise the possibility of potential difficulties, including strokes, in the future but it is not unknown for patients to suffer such problems while the procedure is in progress.

The Milanese daily Libero had suggested Trapattoni had encountered this sort of incident, with the latter suggesting it had resulted in temporary paralysis in one forearm and hand.

It claimed he was then moved for treatment to a specialist unit where doctors had been “incredibly surprised” by the speed and scale of his recovery.

Nobody yesterday addressed the detail of the reports but all insisted the key claim was unfounded.

It is not the first time there have been concerns about the manager’s health, with Trapattoni forced to watch the friendly against Argentina last August from a hospital bed after what was reported initially to be a case of food poisoning appeared to combine with a pre-existing bowel condition to cause the 71-year-old additional problems.

On that occasion, too, a surgical procedure was required but the Italian bounded out of the Mater hospital a couple of days later to good-naturedly assure journalists: “I’m not dead”.

This latest difficulty is sure to cause some concern at the start of what will be a demanding year for the manager as Ireland try to qualify for the next European Championships but when asked yesterday if he could confirm Trapattoni was fit to continue in the role, Byrne replied:

“Without question, he’s an amazing man. He’ll be reviewed on Friday and again next week and the plan is he will be here later in the month to name his squad.”

The sentiment was echoed by Trapattoni’s spokesman in Milan, Pasquale Piccolo, who confirmed the manager is now “back home and getting ready to travel to Dublin.”

Piccolo also confirmed yesterday reigning European champions Inter Milan contacted the Ireland manager six weeks ago with a view to sounding out his availability to replace Spaniard Rafa Benitez as club coach. Trapattoni told Inter he was committed to the Ireland job and Inter dropped the matter, eventually opting for Brazilian Leonardo as the successor to Benitez.