Ireland players wore black armbands and bowed their heads during Israel's national anthem to protest Israel's actions in Gaza before the two teams drew 1-1 in a tense Nations League soccer match on Sunday.
Israeli players also wore black armbands to remember those killed in the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel captain Dor Peretz had “7.10” written on his armband.
Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher, who captained the team in place of Dara O'Shea, avoided shaking hands with Peretz before the match. O'Shea was excused from the squad to be with his wife for the birth of their child.
Kelleher followed the example of O'Shea, who had avoided shaking hands with Israel captain Manor Solomon before Ireland's 3-0 victory in their first meeting in Debrecen, Hungary, last week. Ireland scored all three goals in the first half of that match.
Solomon was named among the substitutes for Sunday's game in Backa Topola, Serbia. Israel forward Sayed Abu Farchi returned to the squad after serving a suspension for his red card following a goal celebration during a 3-1 defeat to Austria on September 25, but did not feature in the match.
Irish forward Finn Azaz, whose mother has Israeli heritage, also remained among the substitutes.
Troy Parrott put Ireland ahead from the penalty spot in the 39th minute after Peretz fouled Jimmy Dunne. Tensions rose on the touchline as players headed into the dressing rooms at half-time.
Peretz raised the back of his jersey above his neck before the second half, apparently highlighting the Israeli flag on it. He then equalised from close range just two minutes after the restart.
Israel came close to taking the lead in the second half, with substitute Omri Gandelman and Oscar Gloukh both hitting the right post. Spanish referee Juan Martínez Munuera had to remain alert as tensions flared following several strong challenges.
The match was originally scheduled to take place in Dublin, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) moved it to a neutral venue in June for “operational reasons” following widespread calls to boycott the fixture. The FAI also announced that the match would be played without spectators.
The decision followed an FAI motion in November last year calling on UEFA to ban Israel from club and international competitions.
Pressure on Irish players
Irish players faced growing pressure at home to boycott the two matches against Israel, reflecting strong public support for Palestinians. The pressure was particularly intense ahead of the first match.
“I felt that pressure growing day by day and it's getting almost to a breaking limit now,” Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said before the first game.
Ultimately, only reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from both matches. In a statement, he said it was his “personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.”
More than 160 Irish sportspeople signed an open letter urging the FAI to reconsider its decision to play the two fixtures.
Before the team travelled to Hungary, protesters gathered outside their Dublin hotel, urging the players to boycott the matches. The SIPTU trade union also displayed a large poster beside the River Liffey in central Dublin, calling on the players to “Go with your conscience!” and “Don't play with genocide,” alongside an image of a blood-splattered football.
Former Ireland coach Brian Kerr said the FAI had “lost the respect of the Irish people” by proceeding with the matches.
However, the FAI resisted the calls, arguing that Ireland could face severe sanctions from UEFA if the team refused to play. Ireland is scheduled to co-host the 2028 European Championship with England, Wales and Scotland.
Tense build-up to match
The fixtures have been preceded by several protests and confrontations.
During Ireland's 2-2 draw with Austria on Thursday, protesters threw tennis balls bearing Palestinian flags onto the pitch. A man carrying a Palestinian flag later attempted to run onto the field.
Tensions also surfaced at Saturday's pre-match news conference when an Israeli journalist alleged that Irish players had called Israeli players “monkeys” during the first match. Ireland's communications officer, Kieran Crowley, immediately rejected the allegation as “a lie” and ended the news conference.
The Irish players had agreed to proceed with the fixtures only after lengthy discussions in Debrecen before the first match. Both a news conference and a training session were delayed for hours as the squad considered its options. Reports said the players voted 14-8 in favour of playing after Bazunu withdrew that morning.
Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ provided limited coverage of both matches to fulfil its contractual obligations. It omitted studio presentations, commentary on the international feed and post-match analysis. The broadcaster also said it would not accept advertising or sponsorship associated with either game.
RTÉ recently announced that Ireland would boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for a second consecutive year because of Israel's participation.
