John Delaney has resigned as vice-president of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), which has become embroiled in a ticketing controversy surrounding the Rio 2016 summer Olympic Games.
Delaney, who also serves as the chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland, was widely tipped to become a future president of the OCI until earlier this year.
He has become the first OCI board member to step down since then-OCI president Patrick Hickey was charged over allegations of wrongdoing in relation to the distribution of tickets for the Olympics. Hickey, who is one of 10 people to have been charged, denies the allegations.
“I am fully confident that in due course my position and non-involvement in these matters will be clarified," Delaney said.
Delaney added in a statement that he was “never active in the day-to-day running of the OCI” and that he has “fully engaged and co-operated with investigations being carried out by Grant Thornton who were appointed to review ticketing arrangements and Deloitte, whose brief is to examine governance issues within the OCI”.
Delaney added that he would cooperate fully with a government probe into the matter.
The trial of Hickey, who was arrested in his hotel room during the Games in August, may not start until early 2018.
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