Heimir Hallgrímsson on gender pay dispute: ‘Equal pay is for someone else to decide’

The Republic of Ireland men’s manager Heimir Hallgrímsson has stated that the market of football, rather than any move towards gender equality, will dictate how much a coach or player is paid.

As part of a landmark legal case against the Football Association of Ireland, the former women’s Republic of Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson has accused the association of breaching her right to equal pay under the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015 by paying her six times less than her male counterparts.

Hallgrímsson’s current contract is worth €650,000 a year while Gleeson received €100,000 in 2024, according to a report in the Sunday Independent.

On Saturday Ireland’s men’s team play Hungary in their opening World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium.

“[Gender pay equality] is not for me to decide,” said Hallgrímsson before Ireland training in Abbotstown on Tuesday morning. “I can only talk from my point of view. I was offered a job, and it was my decision if I took it or refused it.

“A lot of coaches will do the same [job] as I am doing for a lot more money for that. There are also a lot of coaches doing the same thing as I am doing getting less salaries than me.

“I can accept a job offer, or refuse it, that is my right. That has nothing to with gender, in my opinion.

“Equal pay is for someone else to decide. It is the same with players. The highest paid players in the world do not play more games or do more training but they are valued higher.

“The evaluation is for someone else to decide.”

Hallgrímsson was then asked if equal pay for men and women should exist in football management.

“Well, it depends on the job.”

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