Irish players again wore black armbands in tribute to Palestinians killed in Gaza and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem ahead of Sunday’s second UEFA Nations League soccer match.
The League 3 Group B match ended in a 1-1 draw and, although it took place behind closed doors and on neutral ground, it once again played out in a confrontational manner.
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Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher stepped in as captain Dara O’Shea, who was excused from being with his wife for the birth of their child, and avoided shaking hands with Israeli captain Dor Peretz, although he completed the usual pre-match formality with the referee and one of his assistants.
Kelleher’s action was a repeat of O’Shea, who refused to shake hands with Israeli captain Manor Solomon before the first match in Debrecen, Hungary, last week. Ireland won this match 3-0 thanks to three first half goals.
Solomon was returned to the bench for Sunday’s match in Backa Topola, Serbia. Israeli striker Sayed Abu Farchi was back in the team after serving a suspension for being sent off following his fake goal celebration with a gunshot during Israel’s 3–1 loss to Austria on September 25.
Finn Azaz, whose mother is of Israeli origin, was among Ireland’s substitutes after playing from the start against Austria on Thursday.
Troy Parrott’s 39th-minute penalty, after Peretz had fouled Jimmy Dunne, gave Ireland a 1–0 half-time lead. A disagreement also broke out on the sidelines as the players left the field for the break, although the referee quickly intervened.
Peretz secured a point for Israel with a close-range shot in the 47th minute.
Sunday’s match was originally scheduled to be played in Dublin, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) moved it to a neutral venue for “operational reasons” in June, following widespread calls for a boycott in protest against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. The FAI said the match would be played without fans present.
This followed the FAI’s motion last November calling on UEFA to ban Israel from club and international competitions.
All Irish players had come under pressure from their country – where affinity with the Palestinians is strong – to boycott the second match against Israel, although the pressure was greater in the first match.
“I felt this pressure increasing day by day, and it is almost reaching the limit now,” Irish coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said at the time.
In the end, only reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu decided to skip the two disputed matches, saying in a statement that it was his “personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.”
More than 160 Irish sportspeople have signed an open letter urging the FAI to reconsider its decision to go ahead with the two matches.
Before the departure for Hungary, people demonstrated outside the team hotel in Dublin demanding that the players boycott the matches. The SIPTU union put up a huge poster in the center of Dublin, on the banks of the River Liffey, asking players to “show conscience!” and “Don’t play with genocide” alongside an image of a blood-splattered bullet.
Former Ireland manager Brian Kerr said the FAI had “lost the respect of the Irish people” for organizing the matches.
But the FAI maintained that UEFA could sanction the team. Ireland co-hosts the 2028 European Championship with England, Wales and Scotland.
Protesters threw tennis balls with Palestinian flags onto the field during Ireland’s 2-2 draw with Austria on Thursday. A man carrying a Palestinian flag also attempted to run onto the field.
On Saturday, an Israeli journalist said during the pre-match press conference that Irish players had called Israeli players “monkeys” during last week’s match, leading to an immediate reprimand from Irish communications manager Kieran Crowley, who said it was “a lie” and ended the press conference.
The players had only decided to continue with the match after a hectic day in Debrecen before the first match, when the press conference and training were delayed for several hours during deliberations. They reportedly voted 14-8 in favor of continuing the process after Bazunu withdrew that morning.
Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ provided only reduced coverage of the two matches against Israel to meet its contractual obligations. There was no studio presentation, commentary on the international feed, or analysis. RTÉ has stated that it does not accept advertising or sponsorship around either game.
RTÉ also recently announced that Ireland would boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for a second year due to Israel’s participation.
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