The Football Association of Ireland’s (FAI) General Assembly has voted in favor of proceeding with the Republic of Ireland’s upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel, with a motion passing by 75 votes to 32, with three abstentions, during an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) at the Aviva Stadium. The EGM was convened after over 10% of the FAI’s members opposed playing the games, though the vote is non-binding on the FAI executive. The motion acknowledged the „strength of feeling regarding support for Palestine” but emphasized that failing to fulfill the fixtures would cause „profound impact” on Irish football and its future development.
The FAI released a statement following the vote, stating that the endorsement provides the board with support to continue making decisions in the interest of Irish football, while respecting the diverse views expressed by members, players, staff, supporters, and the wider community. The association reiterated that it would continue liaising with stakeholders and support the national squad for their Nations League campaign. Previously, the FAI had warned that boycotting the games would cause „significant and lasting harm” to Irish football and could result in a potential loss of €10.3 million (£9 million).
Pressure to boycott the matches had been mounting in the Republic of Ireland, with protests outside the Aviva Stadium during the EGM and earlier demonstrations outside the Dáil. May’s friendly against Qatar was twice disrupted when tennis balls featuring the Palestine flag were thrown onto the pitch, and a ‘Stop the Game’ campaign was launched by Irish Sport for Palestine. Both Nations League games against Israel are scheduled to be played at neutral venues: Debrecen, Hungary, will host Israel’s home game on 27 October, while the Republic of Ireland’s home match will be played behind closed doors in Bačka Topola, Serbia, on 4 October, after the FAI requested a venue change due to „operational issues” in staging the game in Dublin.
The decision comes amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where the Israeli military launched a campaign following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, at least 73,035 people have been killed in Gaza, including over 21,280 children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, figures considered reliable by the UN.
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Forrás: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c8x2nk7g485o.