The Republic of Ireland and Israel players did not shake hands and the Irish squad bowed their heads when Israel's anthem was played before their 3-0 Uefa Nations League win in Hungary. Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his players "raised awareness worldwide" after they chose not to engage in pre-match formalities with Israel. The fixtures have been embroiled in controversy since February when the two teams were drawn to play each other in Group B3.
The Republic of Ireland players have faced calls to withdraw from the games because of the ongoing Israel-Gaza war with a "Stop The Game" campaign gathering pace. Hallgrimsson told broadcaster RTE after the game that it has been difficult for many players. He hopes that the situation will not be a problem in the next game, as the players have shown support to the protest and raised awareness worldwide.
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu confirmed he had withdrawn from the squad, saying he felt it "would be wrong to participate" in Sunday's game and the return fixture in the Serbian town of Backa Topola on 4 October. The Irish players wore black armbands, which Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell said was a gesture "in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict".
After scoring the Republic of Ireland's third goal, Jack Moylan removed his armband and kissed it before kissing his team's badge. The Republic of Ireland players were jeered by the small number of Israel fans in attendance when they emerged for their pre-game warm-up. A handful of Republic of Ireland fans were spotted inside the stadium, despite the FAI confirming no tickets would be sold to them.
Hallgrimsson confirmed Bazunu would be included in the squad for Thursday's game against Austria in Dublin, but not for the second match against Israel. He said Bazunu is very happy that the team won the game and that nobody questioned his decision to withdraw. The team selection for Sunday's game was based on who could make the best performance for Ireland, not on players' opinions regarding the fixture.
The Republic of Ireland have faced calls to boycott the matches since the Nations League draw in February. Last November, the FAI approved a motion calling for Uefa to suspend Israel from Uefa competitions. In May, the team's friendly against Qatar was interrupted after fans threw tennis balls featuring the Palestinian flag on to the pitch.
The Israel Football Association accused Hallgrimsson of "ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity" after he said, "we're not playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide". Hallgrimsson said it was "a wrong word for me to use", while Israel FA head of communications Shlomi Barzel said he would not apologise for his association's response but would "take back the word stupidity".
Key points
- The Republic of Ireland players chose not to engage in pre-match formalities with Israel, including handshakes and standing for the anthem.
- The team wore black armbands in recognition of lives lost in the Gaza conflict.
- Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad, citing moral objections to participating in the game.
