Ireland to play second Israel fixture despite protest pressure
Heimir Hallgrimsson says the Republic of Ireland will honour their Nations League return match against Israel in Serbia on Sunday, rejecting calls to withdraw amid ongoing demonstrations.
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has confirmed his side will go ahead with their second Nations League meeting with Israel on Sunday, despite a campaign urging the country to reconsider its fixtures against the nation.
The Stop the Game group has asked supporters to gather outside the Aviva Stadium before Thursday's home game against Austria, arguing that fixtures against Israel amount to what it calls sportswashing of the situation in Gaza.
Ireland beat Israel 3-0 in the first Nations League meeting at the weekend, a match the squad had voted on before agreeing to play. Hallgrimsson said he intends to leave security and wider considerations to others so he can concentrate purely on football matters.
The manager said the FAI had already confirmed both fixtures against Israel would be fulfilled, and that this was the plan from the moment the squad gathered for the camp. He acknowledged the situation had weighed heavily on the players, saying the group was taking the camp "day by day".
Before the first match, Ireland's players wore black armbands and declined to observe the Israeli national anthem, images that captured the tension surrounding the fixture.
Southampton midfielder Finn Azaz, who has family ties to Israel through his mother, was left out of that opening game. Hallgrimsson explained the decision by saying Azaz was "in a different position to other players", though he has not ruled out involving the 26-year-old for the trip to Serbia or the Austria match.
Azaz is reported to have spoken candidly to team-mates as the squad weighed up whether to play the fixtures. Hallgrimsson praised how the midfielder had handled the episode, describing him as someone he admires for the emotional control and awareness he has shown throughout the camp, and highlighting the respect he commands within the squad for prioritising the team above his personal circumstances.
Hallgrimsson said no further meeting among players had been held specifically over the Serbia fixture, with the squad's stance unchanged since the camp began.
Ireland face Austria at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday before travelling to Serbia to play Israel again on Sunday in their Nations League campaign.