By David Raleigh
Controversial RTE soccer pundit Eamon Dunphy – who had to apologise last year for his use of bad language while on air – labelled Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal a bullsh***r tonight on RTE’s Champions League Live television programme.
Mr Dunphy, a veteran member of the show’s on air panel, was responding to a question from host Darragh Maloney, who walked straight into it when he asked Dunphy to explain what he meant after calling the Man United gaffer a “spoofer”.
“What do you mean (a spoofer)?,” Mr Maloney asked.
The Dunph, as he’s affectionately known, couldn’t resist teeing up another on-air blooper.
“He’s a bullsh****r,” he told a shocked Maloney, who quickly looked downwards and nervously ruffled through his script.
Maloney then responded: “Ah c’mon Eamon, I know we’re after the watershed, but you can’t say that.”
Dunphy’s fellow legendary panellists, Johnny Giles and Liam Brady, couldn’t help but laugh at his latest outburst.
Despite Dunphy’s assessment of the Dutch-born United boss, his team put four past Club Brugge (7-1 on aggregate), easily qualifying them for the upcoming Champions League campaign, which they missed out on last season.
It’s not the first time the sports journalist, broadcaster and ex-Republic of Ireland player has used profanity on air.
During last year’s RTE Television World Cup coverage Dunphy was the one left red-faced after he inadvertently used the F-word on air during the national broadcaster’s coverage of Brazil’s Group A clash with Mexico.
The late Bill O’Herlihy – who was presenting – had asked Dunphy about the fans expectation of the crumbling Brazilian squad.
“When Neymar was shaping up to take that penalty, I thought he was f**king dreading it,” Mr Dunphy responded, unaware the programme was going out live.
When RTE returned at half-time, Dunphy apologised for his language and said he was genuinely unaware the programme was live when Mr O’Herlihy asked him the question.
“I’d just like to apologise to anybody, I thought we were on an ad break and I used a four-letter word, I’m very, very sorry for the offence I’m sure I caused to some people,” Dunphy said.
“It won’t happen again,” he added.
The veteran soccer pundit later told The Irish Daily Star he was tired at the time – and denied it was a publicity stunt.
“It’s the first time in 36 years that I have said a swear word on the air,” he told the paper.
“I was very tired because we had been six hours in the studio, it was a long day”, he added.
“I spoke to the girl on reception and she said they didn’t receive any calls about the incident,” he said.
Following tonight’s expletive by popular Dunphy, poor Darragh Maloney didn’t know where to look, god bless him, except down at his watch, before he hastily wrapped up the programme, which had come to its natural transmission end.