Casablanca – Republic of Ireland and Israel players did not take part in the traditional pre-match handshake or exchange of pennants before Sunday’s UEFA Nations League meeting in Debrecen, Hungary, amid growing controversy surrounding the fixture.
After the two teams entered the Nagyerdei Stadion, the Republic of Ireland players stood for their national anthem and appeared to bow their heads before Israel’s anthem. The teams then went through the pre-match ceremony without the usual handshake between the players.
There was also no pennant exchange between Ireland captain Dara O’Shea and Israel captain Manor Solomon.
The decision had been announced in advance by Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell, who said the Irish squad had agreed not to participate in parts of the pre-match ceremony.
The players also wore black armbands in what Courell described as a gesture “in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict.”
Pressure to boycott the fixture
The unusual pre-match scenes came after days of internal discussions within the Irish camp over whether to play the fixture at all.
The Irish squad held a meeting lasting several hours on Saturday after one player expressed discomfort about participating in the match. The players subsequently voted by a “significant majority” to fulfil the fixture, according to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu eventually withdrew from the squad, saying he believed it would be wrong for him to participate against Israel.
In a statement, Bazunu said his decision was based on his personal belief that the killing of innocent people was wrong. The goalkeeper also stressed that his position was not directed against Israeli people or the Jewish community, but against what he described as atrocities in the region.
Calls for Ireland to withdraw
The fixture has faced opposition in Ireland since the teams were drawn together in February.
The Irish Sport for Palestine campaign launched a “Stop The Game” initiative calling on the Ireland team to boycott the two Nations League meetings with Israel. More than 160 athletes signed an open letter urging the players not to participate.
The FAI has also previously sought to have Israel excluded from UEFA competitions.
UEFA rejected an FAI request for Ireland and Israel to be kept apart in future competition draws. FAI Chief Executive David Courell said the request was made after Ireland and Israel were paired in the Nations League.
“The answer I got was very clear: that would not be possible because Ireland and Israel have never been in direct conflict,” Courell said. “So that was an answer that I took at face value.”
The first meeting between the teams is being played tonight at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, with Israel designated as the home side.
The return fixture on October 4 was moved to the TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, Serbia, and will be played behind closed doors. The FAI said the move from Ireland was due to operational challenges that could affect the delivery of the game on home soil.
The Ireland-Israel fixture forms part of Group B3 of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League. Ireland entered Sunday’s match after a 1-0 defeat away to Kosovo in their opening game, while Israel lost 3-1 to Austria.
