Republic of Ireland wear black armbands in 3-0 Nations League win over Israel

The Republic of Ireland wore black armbands during a 3-0 Nations League win over Israel on September 27, following a squad vote to play a fixture that had prompted disagreement among players. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said the armbands were intended to recognise all lives lost in the Gaza conflict. Ireland scored three times in the first half in Debrecen, Hungary.

UEFA records the result as Israel 0-3 Republic of Ireland in League B, Group 3. Israel was the designated home side, although the game was played at Nagyerdei Stadion in Hungary. A Guardian reporter at the stadium observed Ireland's players wearing the armbands throughout the pre-match ceremonies and play.

Three goals in 11 minutes

Troy Parrott opened the scoring in the 14th minute after James Abankwah's work on the right, according to The Guardian's match report. Adam Idah added a second two minutes later from a Jack Moylan pass. Moylan scored in the 25th minute, carrying the ball into the area before shooting low. Those goals settled the result before half-time.

The Guardian reported that Moylan removed his black armband and kissed it after scoring. Ireland's players had looked towards the ground during Israel's national anthem, its reporter observed. The teams did not exchange pennants or shake hands before the match. Those observations describe what happened at the stadium; the FAI's stated purpose for the armbands was to recognise lives lost in the conflict.

A decision reached the day before

Whether Ireland would take the field had remained in doubt on September 26. A scheduled news conference was delayed while players met to discuss the Israel fixtures. FAI chief executive David Courell told reporters that a four-hour meeting ended in a vote by a ‘significant majority’ to fulfil the match. The cited account did not give a vote tally.

Courell said one player had expressed discomfort about participating and withdrawn. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu later confirmed on Instagram that he had withdrawn from the fixtures. In his statement, reported by RTÉ Sport, Bazunu said his decision reflected his belief that killing innocent people was wrong. He said his stance was against atrocities in the region and was not directed at Israeli people or the Jewish community.

Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said on September 26 that the remaining players were training and the match would go ahead. After the win, he called the preceding days the toughest of his coaching career, according to The Guardian. He said the players had represented themselves with dignity and had shown how much playing for Ireland meant to them.

The FAI had announced the intended armbands before kick-off. Courell described them as being ‘in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict’. He also said the players and association intended to make a charitable contribution connected to match fees and the Austria fixture. The cited reports did not establish a recipient or precise amount.

The wider dispute and next fixtures

Calls for Ireland to withdraw had followed the teams' pairing in the Nations League group. The BBC reported that a campaign organised by Irish Sport for Palestine had gathered pace before the match. Former Ireland manager Brian Kerr and former international James McClean were among those who backed a boycott, according to the BBC. The FAI's decision to play therefore came amid public pressure as well as discussion within the squad.

An Irish government spokesperson told the BBC that the decision on the fixtures lay with the FAI and UEFA. The spokesperson said the FAI had previously sought Israel's exclusion from international football competitions through a motion to UEFA, but that the motion had not passed. The Israel Football Association's head of communications, Shlomi Barzel, welcomed Ireland's decision to play and said the separation of football and politics should be maintained.

UEFA lists Ireland's next group match against Austria on October 1 and the return fixture against Israel on October 4. Courell had said before Sunday's game that the players intended further gestures around the Israel fixtures, but the cited reports do not establish precisely what will take place at the return match.