Ireland brought a testing international window to an end on Sunday night as their 1-1 draw with Israel capped off what has been turbulent couple of weeks for both players and management.
The games against the Israelis were a huge point in contention in this country, with quite a few people believing the fixtures should not be fulfilled due to the ongoing situation in Gaza.
This would lead to some tense conversations ahead of the first meeting between the sides after Gavin Bazunu opted to withdraw from selection. It was said at the time that Finn Azaz gave an ‘impassioned’ speech to get across the opposite point of view.
Azaz possesses Israeli heritage, something that placed him in a difficult position during this window. He did not feature in the 3-0 win over Israel in Hungary, also remaining on the bench during the 1-1 draw last night.
Heimir Hallgrimsson ‘Hopes’ Finn Azaz Will Continue Ireland Career
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Heimir Hallgrimsson said after the first game against Israel that he opted against using Azaz due to the ‘different position’ he found himself in compared to his Ireland teammates.
There had been reports that the situation was weighing heavily on the player, with it even being suggested that he could retire from international football after this window.
Speaking after Sunday’s game, the Ireland manager said Azaz’s circumstances meant it was ‘better to leave him out’ once again on this occasion. He went on to admit he hoped that the midfielder would continue with the team moving forward.
Obviously we spoke a lot together and it was just tough on him. I could feel it when I spoke to him.
It was tough. It was tough for him that we were wearing black armbands. It was tough on him that we looked down when the national anthem was sung.
It tested him more than all of us. So I just felt it was better to leave him out than play him…
I surely hope so. I haven’t asked (him), but there’s nothing that points to him quitting, absolutely.
And just being here proves it to me. That proves it to me that he wants to be with us, he wants to be with us in the Euro finals in 2028 and he has shown his quality and his worth on the pitch to us.
Finn Azaz remains a key player for Ireland
Finn Azaz remains an important player for Ireland, having played a starring role in the draw with Austria in the Aviva Stadium a few days ago.
Heimir Hallgrimsson will hope to have him fully available for next month’s international window, with his side facing into pivotal games against Austria and Kosovo.
Ireland will enter that period retaining hopes of potential promotion to League A. A top placed finish would ensure their promotion, while second place would earn them a play-off against a third-placed side from the top tier.