EIRCOM AND the FAI both declined to comment yesterday on reports by RTÉ that the company has indicated to the association it does not wish to renew its sponsorship of the League of Ireland when its current deal runs out at the end of the year.

Under the terms of a €7 million deal signed almost five years ago, the company's backing is worth about €1.5 million this year to the FAI and under the formula that applied to the distribution of Eircom cash from the company's original sponsorship deal back in 2000, the league would be entitled to around one third of that sum.

This arrangement was ostensibly dispensed with when the league merged with the FAI but the €500,000 figure would be expected to be in the region of what Eircom would save by pulling out of that aspect of the deal.

There have been suggestions too that the company only wishes to renew its sponsorship of the senior national team for a 12 month period. That would cover the period during which all of Ireland's World Cup qualifiers are to be played and, given the dramatically increased value of such a sponsorship whenever the side makes it to a major championship, it would effectively represent a gamble on the Republic failing to make it to South Africa.

The association, in contrast, would be expected to target a substantially longer deal.