Ireland Uneasy Over Israel Ties as Neutral-Venue Games Go Ahead
None of the Republic of Ireland squad feel comfortable playing Israel, head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has said.
He said he had spoken to each player individually about the prospect of the two fixtures. The ties will still be played.
They are Nations League games, part of UEFA's competition for national teams that runs between World Cups and European Championships. Results count in the group table, just like qualifiers, and shape seedings and future draws. Israel's designated home match is scheduled for Hungary on 27 September, according to BBC Sport. The return, Ireland's designated home match, is scheduled for Serbia on 4 October.
Both matches will be staged on neutral ground, meaning neither side plays in its own country. That is unusual, but it does happen when fixtures are moved for safety or organisational reasons. The two games are only a week apart. Players will travel from club duty, meet up with the squad and then move quickly from one camp to the next.
Neither game will have a normal crowd. The Football Association of Ireland has confirmed its home tie will be played behind closed doors, meaning no supporters in the stadium. No tickets will be made available to Irish fans for the away game in Hungary. For anyone new to the phrase, a neutral venue with no fans is as quiet as international football gets.
The decision to play followed a formal vote. At a special general meeting in July, called to settle the issue, FAI delegates backed a motion to proceed with the games against Israel. That vote gave the association a mandate. It also left the players and staff to prepare for fixtures many of them find difficult.
Hallgrimsson had set out his own position earlier in the year. He said he was opposed to boycotting the two ties and warned that a boycott would cost Ireland, according to RTÉ. He added that the final call was not his to make and that he would accept whatever decision was taken, RTÉ reported in June. In May, he urged his players to "win this war" against Israel on the pitch, Al Jazeera reported.
For fans, this means two competitive internationals stripped of the usual noise and colour. No travelling support in Hungary. No home end in Serbia. Just two squads, officials and an empty stand.
What makes this stand out is the honesty. International managers rarely say a whole dressing room is uneasy. Hallgrimsson said it plainly. Now he must pick a team to play.
