Summary

Republic of Ireland player 'boycotts' Israel match as teammates call emergency meeting Republic of Ireland are scheduled to face Israel in a Nations League match in Hungary on Sunday night, amid vocal opposition to the game taking place More Republic of Ireland players could boycott Sunday’s match with Israel after Gavin Bazunu confirmed he does not want to play in the fixture. The Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper, who is his country’s second choice, told bosses on Friday about his intention to not play, according to the Telegraph. His teammates are now considering their options and it's thought more could follow the same path throwing the UEFA Nations League match into major doubt. There have been increasingly vocal calls for Ireland to boycott the fixture, amid the backdrop of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A UN-commissioned inquiry previously found Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in war-torn Gaza. More than 73,000 people have been killed after Israeli military action was launched in response to the Hamas attack on the Nova Festival in southern Israel of October 7 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page An open letter from more than 160 Irish athletes urged the Irish Football Association (FAI) to withdraw from the fixture, with protests outside the team’s hotel in Dublin earlier this week. It was expected that Ireland’s players would issue a statement at Saturday morning’s pre-match press conference. However, that was cancelled and rearranged minutes before the scheduled time, with no reason offered. Last year, the FAI voted to submit a motion to UEFA that would have seen Israel banned from club and international competitions. The FAI cited two alleged violations of UEFA rules, including organising clubs in occupied Palestine without the permission of the Palestinian FA and the failure to enforce an effective anti-racism policy. Ireland captain Dara O’Shea made clear it was important that the opinions of all players were heard in the build-up. He said: “We’ve got to respect each other’s opinions and each other’s views and really sit down and take the time, because it deserves the time to talk about. “It’s the main thing and it’s something that can’t be brushed over. Whatever decision that we go through as players is taken as one and everybody’s view is respected as well.” Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson elicited a response from the Israeli FA earlier this week when he said “we are not playing with genocide. We are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel; we are not playing with Israel.” In response the Israeli FA issued a statement which read: We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way. “Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by the @IrelandFootball team coach. We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, we’re playing against the coach who embodies them.” Israel are currently prohibited from playing games at home, due to security concerns, with this weekend’s match scheduled to take place in Hungary. The return fixture will also be played on neutral ground - in Serbia - amid the opposition to the game taking place. Join our WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.