so horrible, total national embarrassment. decision should never have been put to the players but they are still spineless for voting for it. Ireland coach Hallgrimson walked back calling it a genocide… total farce
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Cowards, disgusting. I hope there’s major backlash from fans
God fucking dammit. Actually quite surprised given how anti-Israel Ireland is compared to the rest of Europe.
Data said that Ireland unites in 2026, but he didn’t mention that it all just becomes Northern Ireland.
Ireland’s goal keeper withdrawals from match.
Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has withdrawn from the squad ahead of the UEFA Nations League match against Israel.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Mr Bazunu wrote:
“I am a man of strong faith and try my best to be a person of character and principle; therefore, I feel it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel,” Mr Bazunu said.
“My decision is based purely upon my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.
“It is important to note that my stance is not in opposition to the Israeli people or the Jewish community but against the atrocities in the region.”
The match is still scheduled to go ahead, but Irish players will reportedly refuse to shake hands before kick-off.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Denying genocide from the coach, in Ireland? Bold move.
It’s still an awful, cowardly move, but there was reportedly an organized threat from US club owners, powerful sports agents, and others, that they would actively blacklist and torpedo the careers of players that refused to play.
i’ll allow it if every irish player earns a red card
If Sheerhan bent because of who owns him then who ‘owns’ the Ireland national team?Ireland Football is owned by the Football Association of Ireland
David Courell is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), a position he assumed on a permanent basis in October 2024 after serving as Interim CEO since April of that year. Originally from Castlebar, County Mayo
, Courell previously held roles as Chief Operating Officer at the FAI and Head of Business Management at the English Football Association, with extensive experience in Olympic and Paralympic sports administration.His tenure has been marked by efforts to address the FAI’s €35 million debt and improve the national team’s performance, which he noted makes Ireland the third most under-performing UEFA nation. Recently, Courell has faced significant scrutiny and player unrest regarding the decision to proceed with international fixtures against Israel in September 2026, a stance he defended as necessary to avoid sporting sanctions for Irish football.
FAI boss believes Israel games leave him in a lose-lose situation: ‘I have to do my job’
But UEFA and FIFA! And FIFA has made a lot of change and I know the vast majority of Ireland is against this. I am very empathetic to this. Please don’t riot.
