The FAI has unveiled a new crest for the Republic of Ireland's national teams, with a return to the shamrock motif.

Irish football's governing body also released a new logo for the association itself, decoupled from the badge that will be featured on national team jerseys.

In a statement, the FAI said the decision to have a new visual identity for the association separate from the national sides was partially down to "the need to create a professional look and feel for the organisation and how it engages with internal and external stakeholders".

The crest for Irish representative sides, from the men's and women's senior ranks to the youth teams, sees the shamrock return for the first time since 2004, along with the words 'Ireland Football'.

The new FAI logo alongside the crest that will be sported by Ireland's teams

FAI CEO Jonathan Hill said the rebrand is part of a break with the past.

"Today marks the start of a new era for the FAI as an organisation as we unveil our new brand identity," he said.

"We set out an ambitious four-year strategy in 2022 and building a trusted and respected brand was outlined as a key enabler. The delivery of our new identity is a key step in delivering against this objective.

"The development of our new brand identities has been a significant and strategic undertaking that reflects our commitment to being a best-in-class, modern organisation. It also represents a change in what we stand for and how we will engage with the football community as we continue to drive the growth and development of the game in what is a new and exciting era for Irish football.

"Most importantly we have a new national team crest that we hope our fans, players and everyone in Irish football will be truly proud of."

The previous jersey crest

The FAI is €63.5 million in debt and has been without a shirt sponsor for its men's teams since a deal with mobile provider Three ended in 2020.

However, commercial director Sean Kavanagh recently told the Examiner that an agreement with a new kit supplier, expected to be with Castore, would be "transformational in terms of monetary value" for the association.

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