Ireland’s men’s soccer team will play Israel’s on Sunday, but only after a tense four-hour player summit in Hungary about the war in Gaza and a squad vote that FAI chief David Courell said produced a “significant majority” in favor of fulfilling the Nations League schedule. One player withdrew after telling coach Heimir Hallgrimsson he was not comfortable taking part, ESPN reports. The team decided to wear black armbands for the match “in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict” when it plays the match in Hungary, per the BBC.
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu later posted that his decision to sit the game out was “based purely upon my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong,” and not to oppose the Israeli people or the Jewish community, per the AP. Ireland’s team also plans to skip parts of the prematch ceremony and largely shut down its media duties for the rest of the international window, saying questions have gone far beyond football. The players were under pressure at home to boycott both games against Israel, per ESPN; another is scheduled for Oct. 4 in Serbia. There have been demonstrations, an open letter signed by more than 160 Irish sportspeople, and harsh criticism from ex-Ireland coach Brian Kerr.