Ireland Vote to Play Israel in UEFA Nations League Amid Boycott

Ireland will play Israel in the UEFA Nations League after the squad voted by a large majority to continue with both fixtures. The first match is scheduled for Sunday evening at 20:45 at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary. The return fixture will take place on 4 October at Backa Topola in Serbia.

The decision followed an intense period at the team’s hotel. A meeting between the players lasted four hours, while the Football Association of Ireland described a separate discussion on Friday as lasting two hours. The planned training session on Saturday morning was delayed and the team’s press conference was cancelled as the squad considered whether to boycott the fixtures.

The immediate trigger was goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu’s decision not to play against Israel. He told head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson that he was uncomfortable with the match and intended to withdraw from the squad. Bazunu will not train with the team on Saturday and has left the Ireland group for this international window.

The goalkeeper’s decision led to wider discussions among the players, coaching staff and federation officials. Between two and seven other players were reported to have supported not taking part, but the full squad eventually held a vote on whether Ireland should remain in the competition. A large majority backed playing the matches.

David Courell, the federation’s director general, said the team had initially intended to play the fixtures and reached that position again after the discussions. Hallgrimsson said the players were under pressure because of the conflict in Gaza and acknowledged that nobody in the group was comfortable with the situation. He also said he did not know what consequences a refusal to play would have, apart from knowing they would be negative.

The players have sought to separate participation in the match from support for events in Gaza. They have asked to be released from media duties, plan to wear black armbands in memory of those killed in the conflict and intend to make donations to charitable organisations. The pre-match protocol will also be changed, although the precise alterations have not been detailed.

The dispute has built since the Nations League draw brought Ireland and Israel together. In Ireland, the campaign calling for the matches to be stopped has been led by Irish Sport for Palestine under the banner “Stop the game”. Hallgrimsson said protests had been taking place from the first day and that the pressure had increased steadily, leaving the situation almost impossible for the players and staff.

Ireland’s vote means the opening League B fixture will go ahead, but the decision has exposed a clear division between sporting obligations and the players’ response to the conflict. The team will travel to Debrecen with one goalkeeper withdrawn and with planned acts of remembrance and charity accompanying the match. The same issue will return when Ireland and Israel meet again in Serbia on 4 October.