Somebody at the FAI Really Pissed Hans Backe Off

Hans Backe was surprisingly curt when talking to Big Apple Soccer's Kristian Dyer about Ryan Meara's recent call-up to the Irish U-21 squad.

"I just told him we will turn it down," coach Hans Backe said.

"He wants to play; I don’t want [it], so that’s why."

...

"It’s stupid. I’m not commenting on it," Backe said.

No characteristic "in a way's" no "I would say's" just "it's stupid, I don't want it to, we're not talking about it and that's final."

To his credit, Meara, who you have to imagine is disappointed, is being pretty professional about the whole thing, telling Dyer Backe "has a lot more experience in this game then I do."

Meara's call up was for matches against Denmark May 28 and Italy June 4, wouldn't miss an MLS game as both those dates fall in a nearly three week break between MLS games. May 29, though, MLS teams enter the U.S. Open Cup, but unless Backe's acquired a rather intense affinity for that particular trophy, his statements seem needlessly testy.

So the question becomes, who over in Ireland pissed Backe off?