'It can't be brushed over' - Republic of Ireland squad to discuss Israel games
Summary
The Republic of Ireland soccer team will hold a meeting on Friday to discuss how to approach their upcoming match against Israel, following calls in Ireland to boycott the games due to the situation in Gaza. The team will first focus on their game against Kosovo on Thursday before addressing the issue.Key Facts
- The Republic of Ireland will play Kosovo on Thursday in Pristina before facing Israel in Hungary and Serbia.
- There have been public calls in Ireland, including a protest and an open letter signed by over 160 Irish sportspeople, urging a boycott of the Israel matches.
- Team captain Dara O’Shea says the players will have an open discussion and respect all opinions during their meeting on Friday.
- The Football Association of Ireland (FAI), UEFA, and the Irish government have decided to proceed with the games, not the players.
- The team tried to avoid social media and distractions amid the controversy to focus on their upcoming games.
- Previous incidents include the Irish women’s basketball team showing protest against Israel during a game in February 2024.
- The Israel Football Association criticized some comments made by the Republic of Ireland’s coach about facing Israel.
- The match locations were changed to neutral venues with restrictions on away fans due to the contentious nature of the games.
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