In Debrecen, Hungary, the press conference and training session of the Ireland national team were postponed on the eve of the Nations League match against Israel amid growing calls to boycott both fixtures. As TimesLIVE reports, the match, in which Israel will formally be the home side, is scheduled for Sunday.

Players remained at the hotel

Journalists in Debrecen were informed about the postponement of the press conference 15 minutes before it was due to begin. It was decided to hold it after the training session. The session itself was also significantly delayed: Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that the footballers remained at the hotel for more than two hours after the scheduled start of training.

According to RTÉ, some players decided that they did not want to take part in the matches. Reporter Tony O’Donoghue suggested on RTÉ Radio 1 that the refusal of one or more footballers could mean the withdrawal of the entire national team if it adheres to its stated desire to act collectively.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Calls for a boycott

Pressure is growing in Ireland on the team to boycott two matches against Israel. The second match, in which Ireland will be the nominal home side, is due to take place on October 4 in Bačka Topola, Serbia.

Ireland midfielder Jason Knight said after Thursday’s 0-1 defeat to Kosovo that the players were in a difficult situation and that, in his view, the matches should not take place. Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson previously said that the team was playing against genocide and against Israel, rather than alongside Israel. In response, the Israel Football Association accused the Icelandic specialist of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy.”

The Football Association of Ireland has rejected calls for a boycott, citing possible severe UEFA sanctions. More than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter calling on the association to reconsider its decision to hold the matches. Last week, protesters outside the team hotel in Dublin called on the footballers to refuse to play the games.

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