Over 160 Irish Sportspeople Urge Team to Boycott Israel Fixtures
- On Monday, over 160 Irish sportspeople signed an open letter urging the Irish senior men's national football team to boycott upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Israel, calling on players to "act collectively with conscience."
- Signatories argue that playing Israel legitimises a genocidal regime and ignores statute breaches regarding occupied Palestinian lands; they assert the Football Association of Ireland , UEFA, and the Irish government should have refused on legal, moral, and political grounds.
- Notable figures supporting the initiative include Olympian Ciara Mageean, former rugby international Tony Ward, and soccer player Louise Quinn. The letter states, "Not playing the game would be the most sporting thing you could do."
- Director of Football John Martin urged critics not to blame the squad, stating, "People like me and David Courell made this decision, not the players." He acknowledged squad members are "really uncomfortable playing the games."
- The Irish team faces Israel on September 27 in Debrecen, Hungary, and October 4 in Serbia, while the FAI continues lobbying UEFA to ban Israel from international competitions rather than acting unilaterally.
126 Articles
126 Articles
Ireland players make final decision on match against Israel
Football Association of Ireland CEO says one player withdrew from the squad after a vote, while Ireland coach says no solution will satisfy everyone
Hours tense in the retirement of Ireland's national team in Hungary after several players expressed the will not to play tomorrow the game of Nations League against Israel on the neutral field of Debrecen. (ANSA)
Ireland players vote to go ahead with Israel games as pressure to boycott grows
Pressure to boycott upcoming Nations League games against Israel over that country’s actions in Gaza has taken its toll on the Ireland team with players ultimately putting their participation to a vote. Ireland is due to play Israel in Debrecen,…
According to unconfirmed reports, several players, including goalkeeper Gavin Bazun, have expressed their desire to withdraw from this match.
The Irish selection organised a vote to decide whether or not to participate in its next two games against Israel.
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