The Irish men’s football team will face Israel on Sunday, but only after a tense four-hour summit between players in Hungary over the war in Gaza and a team vote which FAI chief David Courell said produced a “significant majority” in favor of sticking to the Nations League schedule. One player withdrew after telling coach Heimir Hallgrimsson he was not comfortable participating, ESPN reports. The team decided to wear black armbands for the match “in recognition of all the lives lost in the conflict” during the match in Hungary, according to the BBC.
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu later said his decision to suspend the match was “based solely on my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong,” and that it was not intended to oppose the Israeli people or the Jewish community, according to the AP. The Irish team also plans to skip parts of the pre-match ceremony and largely suspend its media functions for the rest of the international window, saying the issues go far beyond football. Players were under pressure at home to boycott both matches against Israel, according to ESPN; another is planned for October 4 in Serbia. There were protests, an open letter signed by more than 160 Irish athletes and harsh criticism from former Irish coach Brian Kerr.
Gn sports
