Ireland vs Israel - a calm discussion on the football only please

Sport
21

Its a bit of a no brainer.

Now, saying that, I thought the same might happen with the Basketball and sometimes these things aren’t as simple as doing that. You’d wish they were.

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22

The players shouldn’t be put in a position where they have to choose between morals and turning up for their country.

23

Well seeing as the politicians and sporting administrators will not, it then leaves them as the next group to make a stand.

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24

they should have listened to Bradley, Pico & the ultras

25

This is the right decision for the FAI

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26

What are other Irish teams or players doing in other sports? Have any other countries taken a stand? Are israeli athletes competing in world championships or Olympics in other sports?

I think this is the best compromise. All this is about is sending a message that the country in general disagrees with what Israel are doing and by moving it to a neutral venue we’ve done that.
Work with other countries to try and get them banned from international sport like South Africa and russia is the only thing that will have a proper impact though.

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27

“The Palestinian Football Association expresses its appreciation for the principled positions taken by the Football Association of Ireland in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes. The Palestinian Football Association also affirms its respect for the decision made by the Football Association of Ireland within the framework of its sporting and international obligations, in a manner that enables it to continue fulfilling its noble mission of serving football and promoting the values of justice, solidarity, and mutual respect.”

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28

I hope that makes you feel better

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29

it certainly helps, tysm

30

I see Mary Lou Trump has called the FAI “cowardly”
Sinn Fein would know a lot about cowardly actions in fairness

31

Brimging them back to Hungary is just cruel.

32

Look over there it’s Sinn Fein.

33
34

They’re going to kill us

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35

And Northern Ireland

36

Their not renowned for being choosy.

37

Abdulruhman Ismail on X: “After his heroics at the World Cup with Cape Verde, he has come up with the right call: Stop the game against Israel. A hero off and on the pitch. Love the Irish​:heart::palestinian_territories::ireland: https://t.co/tO4btci0u2” / X

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38

I fully expect the lads to turn up’ — Ex-Ireland captain Kenny Cunningham plays down talk of player boycott of Israel games

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Summarise

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‘I think it would be a good thing to see the Israeli national anthem respected inside the Aviva Stadium’

7 Sep 2026 6:00 PM

Kenny Cunningham promoting Premier Sports’ coverage of live football and rugby including Uefa club competitions, English Premier League, United Rugby Championship, Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup © Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Former Ireland captain Kenny Cunningham expects current members of the squad will not boycott the controversial Nations League fixtures against Israel in the coming weeks.

But the Dubliner is confident that any squad member who is a conscientious objector and refuses to play will be offered the support of his teammates and will not damage their international career.

Heimir Hallgrimsson will name his squad in 10 days’ time for the four-game international window which includes Nations League games against Israel, the ‘away’ leg to be played in Debrecen in Hungary on Sunday September 27, while the ‘home’ fixture goes ahead behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia, on Sunday October 4.

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SĂ©amus Coleman — yet to find a new club since his Everton exit — has previously expressed his unease about facing Israel, saying “I am a dad, I am a husband, I’ve got a heart, I know the difference between right and wrong” while Bohemians’ Dawson Devoy, who made his senior Ireland debut in the summer, has stated that the matches should not be going ahead, though he stopped short of saying he’d opt out if selected.

The Ireland team line up for last May’s friendly against Qatar at the Aviva Stadium © Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

However, 2002 World Cup veteran Cunningham, who did play in a contentious Euro qualifier against Yugoslavia in 1999 against a backdrop of sanctions over the war in Kosovo, predicts that there will be no one opting out though he believes that the home fixture against Israel should have gone ahead in Dublin.

“My gut reaction tells me that the majority of players would want to play it. That’s the truth as I see it. Obviously it’s not the players themselves [that] are going to determine whether the game is going to be played,” he said, speaking at the launch of Premier Sports’ new season.

“As a player you don’t have to turn up, it’s as simple as that, you speak to the manager about not making yourself available for the game, give your reasons and the manager accepts that or he doesn’t, so I think that’s quite simple from a player’s point of view if you want to take that stand.

Soccer analyst Kenny Cunningham promoting Premier Sports — the home of live football and rugby including Uefa club competitions, English Premier League, as well as URC and Champions Cup rugby © Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

“My gut feeling, from my experience in the game and I don’t know this particular group of players, is that the majority, if not all the players, will turn up and that tells me that all the players are happy to play the game because they have the option not to turn up.

“It’s very much a personal thing, the lads at the moment have that right. And I’m sure they’d be respected. Any lad that decided not to turn up for those Israel games, it won’t be the end of his Ireland international career. In fact, he might get some plaudits, he might get a bit of respect off people.

“I think it’s important as well, you have to remember who takes the hit, who takes the pain if this kind of game is cancelled. People are suggesting we should cancel the game. They cancel the game, there’s ramifications to that in terms of expulsion from the Nations League.

“What about if we draw Israel in the qualifiers for the Euros? Are we not going to play those games again? Are we prepared to accept expulsion from the Euros in two years’ time? That’s obviously where we’re going if we’re going to be consistent with it.”

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He added: “I think the games should go ahead and I think the home game should go ahead in Dublin. It would be a good thing to see the Israeli team come onto the pitch in the Aviva. I think it would be a good thing to see the Israeli national anthem respected inside the Aviva Stadium because that for me would send a signal, maybe from the Irish people to the Israeli people who have suffered as well in this conflict.

“I think that would resonate more for me, rather than people throwing things at the Israelis or spraying paint on walls in hotels that the Israeli team would have stayed in, the Irish public showing respect to the Israeli people, some of whom may not row in behind the Israeli government in terms of their foreign policy.

“Maybe some of the Israeli players, who would be on the coach, getting stuff thrown at them, are disgusted with their government and the conflict. It is messy. But I think the game should have gone ahead in Dublin.”

39

He’s some gowl.

40

What a fucking gobshite.