Sports · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Ireland Votes To Play Israel In Nations League After Gavin Bazunu Withdrawal
Ireland's squad voted to fulfil Nations League match against Israel despite Gaza war concerns Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the Ireland squad citing the Gaza conflict; match still proceeding
Whether the manager later backtracked on “genocide” wording.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: RTE would boycott Eurovision again due to Israel participation.
BBC was read line by line by the Watchdog: 4.7. See the score →
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The Guardian
“Hallgrímsson said he had used a ‘strong’ word and now regretted it.”Read the original ↗
i24NEWS
“manager Heimir Hallgrimsson says ‘genocide’ was the wrong word for him to use”Read the original ↗
It signals how each outlet interprets the dispute around his Gaza terminology.
Vote Sends Ireland On
Ireland will play its Nations League fixture against Israel on Sunday after a squad vote decided to proceed, following one player’s intention to withdraw. Football Association of Ireland chief executive David Courell said in Debrecen, Hungary that Ireland “held a vote within the squad to gauge the players’ stance on playing the two games (against Israel).” Ireland’s first match against Israel is officially Israel’s home game and will be played at a neutral venue in Hungary, while Ireland’s designated home match on October 4 was moved from Aviva Stadium in Dublin to Patchak Topola in Serbia.
“We held a vote within the squad to gauge the players’ stance on playing the two games (against Israel).”
Heimir Hallgrímsson said the situation was a “unique situation” and that “we are trying to limit the damage,” after a pre-match press conference was postponed and training was delayed due to talks with players. Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad, and the withdrawal delayed the pre-match news conference before the team confirmed the fixture would go ahead.
Black Armbands and No Media
David Courell said the squad vote produced a “significant majority” in favor of continuing the fixtures, and he added that the association decided to press ahead “as we always intend to fulfill the scheduled games.” Courell said the players would wear black armbands “in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict” for the Sunday game in Debrecen, and the players would also make further gestures for the return fixture against Israel in Serbia. Heimir Hallgrímsson said “Nobody is comfortable playing these matches for many reasons,” as the manager described the pressure on the players and confirmed that “All the rest of the players are training today.”
Gavin Bazunu said in an Instagram statement that he “feel it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel,” and he said his decision was based on his “personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.” Courell also said the players requested to “effectively remove their media obligations” for the rest of the international window, and he said the team would refrain from parts of the pre-match ceremony including handshakes and the pennant exchange.
Protests, UEFA, and Stakes
The Irish Football Association president David O’Rourke told reporters in Debrecen that “There was a large majority in favor of continuing” to play the Nations League matches against Israel, after prominent Irish figures and supporters protested against proceeding. The Football Association of Ireland CEO David Courell said the association took the decision on behalf of Irish football “to proceed with this match, as we are always committed to fulfilling the scheduled games,” while the match remained under spotlight since the sides were drawn together in February. The Arab News account said Ireland moved its October 4 home fixture from Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to Backa Topola in Serbia due to concerns over disruption and security, and it said Ireland would have no handshakes or a pennant exchange with the Israeli team before kick-off.
The BBC said the fixtures were embroiled in controversy after a “Stop The Game” campaign organised by Irish Sport for Palestine gathered pace, and it described how a pre-match news conference with Hallgrímsson and a player was postponed just 15 minutes before it was scheduled to start. The DW report said the Israel Football Association celebrated the outcome with the line “football has won,” while it added that the Ireland squad would wear black armbands in solidarity with “all the lives lost in Gaza” for the match.