On Sunday, the national men’s European football teams of Israel and the Republic of Ireland will face each other at a stadium in Hungary. A week later, they will meet once more, this time in Serbia. The very existence of these two games has created a lot of controversy, especially among Irish fans.
Politics related to Israel’s current occupation of Palestine have impacted their every aspect long before the players have ever stepped onto the fields. They will also continue to be a constant part of the conversations surrounding them. Whether the sport’s officials want to or not, they provide context to the upcoming matches, while also opening up further discussion about the ever-relevant and ever-tightening connection between sport and politics.
After Russia attacked Ukraine, it faced severe sanctions from UEFA, and its teams and clubs continue to be banned from participating in competitions. Due to the atrocities committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, many fans expected it to face similar consequences. This did not come to fruition. The country’s national team was included in the draw for this year’s edition of the Nations League, becoming a part of Group G, alongside Austria, Kosovo, and Ireland.
While the decision to include Israel is questionable in itself, the controversy only increases given that Ireland in parotuclar will be one of the nations they are set to face. The Irish people have been very vocal in their support of Palestine ever since the severity of the conflict increased in 2023. Ireland has formally recognised the State of Palestine in 2024. Additionally, some of its officials, including the current head of government, Micheál Martin, have accused Israel of committing genocide in the occupied regions. There is thus open hostility between the two countries, which severely increases the tension around the two matches.
Soon after the draw, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) was faced with calls to boycott the games. In July, its members voted on whether to contest the games. 32 of them were in favour of boycotting, while 75 believed that the matches should be played. As it explained the reasoning behind the decision, the FAI referred to the fact that refusing to play would likely be tied to significant disciplinary sanctions from UEFA, which, in turn, would harm Irish football.
The two games will not be played in either Israel or Ireland. Instead, the first fixture, technically hosted by Israel, will be played in a remote stadium in Hungary. The country was chosen due to its relatively strong ties with Israel, in hopes of decreasing the likelihood of disruptions during the match. Although there will be a small number of tickets available for the “home” fans, no Irish supporters will have the opportunity to attend the game in person.
The Irish “home” game was initially supposed to be played in Dublin, but later a decision was made to hold it at a neutral stadium instead. According to various reports, the FAI feared that trying to play the match in Ireland would lead to protests severe enough to prevent it from taking place. A venue in Serbia, another country relatively closely tied to Israel, was chosen instead. No tickets were sold to the fans.
Despite the games being given a green light, Irish officials, athletes, and fans continue to protest against them. Ireland’s public broadcaster, RTÉ, has announced that, while they are contractually forced to cover the games, the transmissions will be stripped back. No commentary, studio coverage, or half-time analysis will be provided on air. Additionally, the broadcasters will not take any income from sponsors or advertisements during the two games.
In recent weeks, Irish fans have demonstrated against the matches during various home games of their clubs. Additionally, more than 160 Irish athletes have signed an open letter written by an activist group, Irish Sport for Palestine, which urged the men’s football team to “act collectively with conscience & refuse to participate in their upcoming games against Israel”.
The people directly involved in the matches are not passive either. The FAI has submitted a formal request for Ireland and Israel to be kept apart in future draws, hoping to avoid a repetition of the situation they have been dealing with for the past months. It was rejected by UEFA. When it comes to the team’s manager, Heimer Hallgrimsson, in a press conference related to the matches, he stated:
“We’re not playing with genocide; we’re playing against genocide (…) We’re playing against Israel; we’re not playing with Israel.”
The comment was met with contempt from the Israel Football Association, which created a pointed post on its official social media channels:
“We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way. Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by @IrelandFootball team coach. We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, We’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”
While Hallgrimsson himself did not respond to the comment, it was condemned by the head of the Irish government. He stated that the remarks are unacceptable and thus should be withdrawn.
The situation surrounding the two matches is extremely complex and delicate. Their very existence has created many conversations regarding what should and should not be allowed in sport. While some people claim that politics should not impact areas that are, on the surface, created mostly for entertainment, the truth is that everything in today’s world is political. Sport in particular is an area that has, alongside its incessant mediatization, become increasingly politicised.
The complexity of the context required to properly understand the tensions that are sure to surface during the games between Ireland and Israel showcases that football does not exist in a vacuum. The argument that it should be enjoyed purely for what happens on the field, not everything that happens around it, is invalid because the very existence of the games is directly impacted by politics.
The fact that the two matches will be played at neutral stadiums with limited or no audience will unquestionably affect the players’ performance, impacting the very core of what football is. That is, if the games even happen, since there is still a chance that a boycott of the Irish team or firm protests by its fans may lead to them not taking place at all. The very choice to allow Israel to participate in UEFA’s competition and creating a situation which Ireland is forced to face it is inherently political. Organised sport is not, and never has been, merely a source of entertainment, and situations like this one bring that truth to light.
It remains to be seen what will happen tomorrow on the 27th, and then again on the 4th. During a press conference held earlier today, it was revealed that the majority of the men’s team was in favour of playing the fixtures. However, one of the players, the name of whom has not yet been revealed, pulled out of the squad as to not have to face Israel.
No matter what the result of the matches will be, they have already drawn people’s attention to the political situation that serves as their context. The Irish fans, athletes, and politicians have made their voices heard as they loudly criticised both UEFA and Israel itself.
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