RTÉ Hire Alleged Domestic Abuser For World Cup Coverage This Summer

RTÉ Sport announced details of its 2018 FIFA World Cup coverage across television, radio, online and mobile on Wednesday. 

They will provide live coverage of all 64 games across RTÉ2, RTÉ News Now and RTÉ Player there will be over 180 hours of television coverage.

At a launch in RTÉ’s Studio 4, details of the team of panelists, presenters and commentators were announced to the media. Darragh Maloney, Jacqui Hurley and Peter Collins will present the live coverage alongside panellists Eamon Dunphy, Liam Brady, Damien Duff, Didi Hamann, Richie Sadlier, Keith Andrews, Shay Given, Richard Dunne, Michael O’Neill, Keith Andrews and USA Women’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Hope Solo.

RTÉ Sport’s commentary team of George Hamilton, Ger Canning, Adrian Eames, John Kenny, Hugh Cahill and Stephen Alkin will be joined by co-commentators Ronnie Whelan, Ray Houghton, Jim Beglin and Brian Kerr.

Group Head of RTÉ Sport, Declan McBennett, said: 

“RTÉ is delighted to bring Irish audiences all of the action from Russia with every single match of the tournament across RTÉ 2, RTÉ Player and RTÉ News Now. I’m delighted to also welcome our new signings Hope Solo, Shay Given and Keith Andrews to what I believe are the best team of analysts and commentators in the business. 

“RTÉ will be operating on all fronts to make sure the audience won’t miss a kick of the game and have all of the latest news and developments from Russia across RTÉ Radio 1 and our dedicated Word Cup site”

However, one of RTÉ’s new signings, Hope Solo, has a history of hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons – calling out teammates publicly for bad performances as well as numerous controversies on the football pitch – and was once even arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse.

Solo was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of assault following alleged attacks on her half-sister and nephew. 

Solo pleaded not guilty to the charges and the judge dismissed the claims against Solo because of the lack of cooperation from the two alleged victims and Solo claimed that she was actually defending herself from an attack by her nephew.

However, the charges on Solo were then reinstated following an appeal from the Superior Court and the state appeals court also denied Solo’s petition to review the case. 

Solo is a two-time Olympic medalist, and was also selected on the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star Team – the year the USA won the World Cup – as well as being a Two-time FIFA World Cup Golden Glove Award winner (2011, 2015).

She also won the Bronze Ball as the third-best player of the 2011 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first goalkeeper to accomplish the feat.

READ NEXT: Here’s The Entire RTÉ Schedule For The 2018 World Cup