Tardelli admitted that was news to him, but was relaxed about the whole situation after speaking to FAI chief executive John Delaney earlier this week.

He said: “I spoke with John Delaney two or three days ago. He never told me about this. For me, it’s speculation. Also two years ago, we took a cut in our contracts.”

Asked if it would be a problem to take a pay cut, Tardelli said: “Not too much.

“I don’t understand well in English, but John Delaney didn’t talk to me about that.

“Many times, we speak with John and the board to decide to continue or not. For us, you know our idea – we want to stay on.”

The reports also claimed the retention of Trapattoni and his staff would depend on Ireland at least reaching the play-off stage of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, although Tardelli was unaware also of that.

He said: “We don’t have any such targets. We spoke with John Delaney two or three days. If the board want me and Giovanni to stay here, it’s okay. There’s nothing to be discussed at the moment.”

Tardelli’s comments came after the squad’s final training session in Malahide before they left for Moscow yesterday afternoon.

But he and Trapattoni had more immediate concerns with John O’Shea ruled out due to hip and calf injuries, and goalkeeper Shay Given undergoing a scan on a back problem which has hampered him since last weekend.

Richard Dunne and Robbie Keane are also being nursed through knocks picked up during Friday night’s 0-0 draw with Slovakia.

Given was able to travel with the rest of his team-mates, but O’Shea’s ailments have stopped him from making the trip.

The Sunderland defender, who started at right-back on Friday evening, was one of the candidates to replace the suspended Sean St Ledger in central defence, and his absence has further limited Trapattoni’s options.

As a result, Leeds’ Darren O’Dea is likely to partner Dunne in a patched-up back four.