Ireland to play Israel despite boycott calls

AP:

Pressure to boycott upcoming Nations League games against Israel over that country’s actions in Gaza weighed heavily on the Ireland team yesterday, as players held lengthy talks, voted on participation, and one withdrew from the squad.

Ireland are scheduled to face Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, today, but their press conference and training session were delayed by more than five hours while players debated in their hotel whether to proceed.

“A player expressed their discomfort with fulfilling this fixture to the head coach and indicated their intent to withdraw from the squad,” said David Courell, CEO of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). “As you can understand, this new variable required time and deliberation for the rest of the squad to consider.”

Courell confirmed a vote was taken and “a significant majority” backed playing. “Based on that, the association took the decision on behalf of Irish football that this fixture would continue as we have always intended to fulfil the fixtures,” he said.

Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu reportedly told teammates on Friday night he did not want to play. His name was not mentioned publicly, but coach Heimir Hallgrimsson confirmed a player was leaving the squad. “All the rest of the players are training today,” Hallgrimsson said. “It’s an ongoing discussion … but we are going ahead, the game is going ahead, we’re going to train. And there will be more discussions tonight and probably tomorrow.”

BLACK ARMBANDS

Courell said players had asked not to face media questions “that are not about football” and intend to wear black armbands “in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict”. He added that elements of the pre-match ceremony would be skipped, and both players and the FAI will make “significant contributions” to charity from match fees.

The team faces mounting pressure in Ireland, where solidarity with Palestinians runs deep. Ireland’s “home” game against Israel on October 4 will be staged in Backa Topola, Serbia, with no fans present. The FAI had already moved the fixture to a neutral venue for “operational reasons” after calls to boycott and its own motion last November urging UEFA to ban Israel from competitions.

“There’s a huge support – probably in Europe the biggest support – for Palestine in Ireland,” Hallgrimsson said. “There’s been protests since the draw not to play this fixture … I felt that pressure growing day by day and it’s getting almost to a breaking limit now.”

Midfielder Jason Knight said after Thursday’s 1-0 loss in Kosovo that the squad was in a difficult position and he did not think the matches should proceed.

Hallgrimsson previously remarked: “We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. We’re playing against Israel, we’re not playing with Israel” – comments that drew fury from the Israeli federation, which accused him of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy”.

The FAI has resisted boycott calls, warning of sanctions from UEFA. Ireland are co-hosting Euro 2028 with England, Wales and Scotland.

More than 160 Irish sportspeople signed an open letter urging the FAI to reconsider. Protests have followed the team, including outside their Dublin hotel last week. The SIPTU trade union displayed a giant poster beside the River Liffey urging players: “Go with your conscience!” and “Don’t play with genocide.”

Former Ireland coach Brian Kerr said the FAI had “lost the respect of the Irish people” by pressing ahead. “The Irish people and the soccer-going public don’t want the games to be played,” Kerr said. “The FAI back in November actually went to UEFA and requested that Israel be put out of the tournament on a principle. And yet they went against that principle.”

UEFA did not respond to requests for comment.