The FAI has said a boycott of the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Israel would cause “significant and lasting harm” to football in Ireland in a letter to General Assembly members ahead of the association’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 8 July.
General Assembly members will meet next Wednesday after those opposed to fulfilling the autumn fixtures against Israel secured the minimum 10 percent of signatures required to trigger an EGM on the issue in late May.
However, the motion that is to be voted upon is not the one proposing a boycott of both fixtures. That motion submitted by groups opposed to the fixtures taking place due to the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza had been deemed invalid due to questions over membership eligibility.
The FAI board have put forward their own motion which will be put to members, which states:
“While acknowledging the strength of feeling regarding support for Palestine and the upcoming UEFA Men’s Nations League fixtures, that the members recognise the profound impact that any non-fulfilment of UEFA fixtures would have on Irish football as a whole and on its future development, and accordingly endorses the Association fulfilling its obligations in respect of those fixtures.”
In a letter to members, signed by President Paul Cooke and chair Tony Keohane, the FAI board outlined its reasons for rejecting a boycott of the upcoming fixtures.
“Having considered all the available information and the consequences of non-fulfilment, the board concluded that refusing to play these fixtures would cause significant and lasting harm to Irish football, with no indication that such an action would result in any change to Israel’s participation in UEFA competitions,” the board members wrote.
In an accompanying document sent to general assembly members and released to the media, the FAI has said that forfeiture of the fixtures would have an immediate impact in terms of two 3-0 losses, likely relegation to League C of the Nations League, as well as a direct revenue loss of €5.5 million.
When taking into the reduced revenue stemming from reduced UEFA participation income, likely relegation and reduced ticketing and sponsorship, the FAI statement estimated a “likely” financial loss of €10.3 million.
The FAI added that a boycott could potentially result in “total removal from the current Nations League (eg, competitive integrity) and potential exclusion from future UEFA and FIFA competitions at senior and underage level.”
They said that a boycott would risk “lasting competitive disadvantage that would severely reduce the prospects of qualifying for major tournaments for years to come.”
The statement added that such a move would risk further financial impact, including the “withholding of all UEFA distributions and participation income.”
The document said this would result in lower investment in clubs and leagues and reduced support for both high performance programmes as well as grassroots football.
It noted that all other national assocations had those far fulfiled their fixtures with Israel, saying that “a unilateral boycott would leave Irish football bearing the brunt of disciplinary procedures in isolation.”
The letter from the board members cited the Norwegian federation as an example of a country that had been strong advocates for “change through UEFA and FIFA processes” but who had fulfilled competitve fixtures against Israel.
The FAI insisted it would continue to “advocate for members views through appropriate UEFA channels” and “engage directly with UEFA regarding Israel’s participation.”
Regardless of whether the board’s motion secures the 51% majority among general assembly members, the outcome is non-binding on the FAI executive.
In a statement released on Monday, the FAI had confirmed that Republic of Ireland’s home game against Israel would take place behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia on Sunday 4 October.
Ireland’s away fixture against Israel will be played in Debrecen in Hungary on 27 September.