Ireland players vote to play Israel despite boycott calls, keeper withdraws
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Neutral summary
The Republic of Ireland will play their Nations League match against Israel on Sunday in Debrecen after the squad voted to proceed. The vote followed a four-hour team meeting on Saturday morning, during which players discussed whether to boycott the fixture over Israel's actions in Gaza. FAI chief executive David Courell confirmed that a "significant majority" of players voted to play. One player withdrew from the squad, and goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu issued a statement explaining his decision: "I feel it would be wrong to participate." Players will wear black armbands "in recognition of all lives lost in the Gaza conflict," skip the pre-match handshake and flag exchange, and asked to be excused from media duties for the rest of the window. Israel's football association said "football won" and that those who wanted to intimidate and divide had lost. The return match will be played on October 4 in Serbia rather than in Ireland, amid protests and security concerns.
How it was framed
Outlets: 44. Countries: 15. Facts in the shared core: 4.
Publication timeline
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The National (UAE) (outlet profile)
Israel v Ireland: Boycott calls, protests and the Nations League dispute explained
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The National (UAE) (outlet profile)
Israel v Ireland: Nations League dispute explained as Irish midfielder Jason Knight calls for boycott
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The Independent (outlet profile)
Ireland star speaks out on Israel clash as protest group calls for boycott
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iNews (outlet profile)
Seven things to know before one of history’s most controversial football matches. Why Israel vs Ireland is so contentious
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Al-Monitor (outlet profile)
Ireland's Gaza stance spills from Eurovision into football. No Irish supporters in the stadium, no home match in Ireland and no pundits or Irish commentary on television: the country's strong support for the Palestinian…
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Belfast Telegraph (outlet profile)
Continued calls for boycott of Ireland-Israel football fixtures
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RTÉ News (outlet profile)
How Ireland-Israel became the most controversial game. As the Republic of Ireland prepare for Sunday night's clash with Israel in Debrecen, Raf Diallo explains how this UEFA Nations League fixture became the most talked…
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RTÉ News (outlet profile)
Press conference delayed as squad set to issue statement. The Republic of Ireland's press conference in Debrecen, Hungary, has been delayed, with the players expected to issue a statement regarding their position on pla…
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TheJournal.ie (outlet profile)
Confusion as FAI postpone pre-match press conference ahead of expected players' statement. The Ireland players met on Friday to work on releasing a statement laying out their stance.
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RTÉ News (outlet profile)
Confusion in Hungary as players hold meeting - updates. Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson faces the media in Debrecen, Hungary ahead of tomorrow's Nations League clash against Israel. Follow the latest update…
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The Independent (outlet profile)
Republic of Ireland press conference and training delayed ahead of controversial Israel clash. Republic of Ireland are due to face Israel in Hungary on Sunday
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Mondo (outlet profile)
Irska odbija da igra protiv Izraela: Skandal kakav Evropa ne pamti, čeka se UEFA
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BBC News (outlet profile)
Republic of Ireland news conference delayed before controversial Israel game. The Republic of Ireland delay the pre-match news conference planned for Sunday's Uefa Nations League game against Israel in Hungary - a fixtu…
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Daily Mail (outlet profile)
Ireland star REFUSES to play against Israel on eve of controversial Nations League match - and MORE stars could join him after manager said 'we're playing against genocide' amid calls for game to be cancelled. There has…
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www.rbc.ru (outlet profile)
Вратарь сборной Ирландии отказался играть против Израиля в Лиге наций. Гэвин Базуну сообщил тренерскому штабу, что не хочет играть с Израилем 27 сентября и 4 октября, другие футболисты тоже обдумывают такую возможность
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Channel NewsAsia (outlet profile)
Ireland postpone press conference, training delayed ahead of Nations League game with Israel
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Channel NewsAsia (outlet profile)
Ireland to fulfil Nations League fixture with Israel after player vote
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The Jerusalem Post (outlet profile)
Irish goalkeeper opts out of game against Israel, Ireland's team postpones training - report. The Irish national team staff tried to solve the disputes with the players before their flight to Hungary, where the match is…
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Al Jazeera (outlet profile)
Pressure to boycott Israel game grows as Ireland preparations stall. Ireland are due to play Israel in the Nations League in Hungary on Sunday, but boycott pressure mounts on and off-field.
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La Dépêche (outlet profile)
L'Irlande va-t-elle boycotter son match face à Israël ? Certains joueurs refusent de jouer la rencontre, une réunion est en cours à l'hôtel de Green and White Army. Les tensions entre l'Irlande et Israël s'intensifient…
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N1 Srbija (outlet profile)
Neizvesnost pred meč sa Izraelom: Golman Irske odbio da igra, možda nije jedini. Velika neizvesnost vlada u reprezentaciji Republike Irske dan pred utakmicu sa Izraelom u Ligi nacija. Golman Gavin Bazunu saopštio je da…
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Telegraf (outlet profile)
Potpuno rasulo u Irskoj: Golman odbio da brani protiv Izraela, neizvesni i ostali reprezentativci. Fudbalska reprezentacija Irske nalazi se u potpunom rasulu pred prvenstveni meč protiv Izraela koji je zakazan za nedelj…
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La Repubblica (outlet profile)
Israele-Irlanda, scoppia il caso: cinque giocatori si rifiutano di giocare e la partita è a rischio. Sono pressanti le richieste alla squadra di non scendere in campo domani e anche domenica
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Ouest-France (outlet profile)
Ligue des nations. Après son retrait de l’Eurovision, l’Irlande intensifie son soutien à Gaza avant d’affronter Israël. Alors que Dublin a annoncé qu’il boycotterait une nouvelle fois le concours de l’Eurovision 2027 en…
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Middle East Eye (outlet profile)
Ireland players vote to play Israel match after boycott debate. Ireland players vote to play Israel match after boycott debate The Republic of Ireland will play Sunday's Uefa Nations League match against Israel in Debre…
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Politika (outlet profile)
Фудбалски савез Ирске потврдио: утакмица против Израела се игра након гласања фудбалера. Према непотврђеним информацијама, неколико фудбалера, укључујући голмана Гевина Базунуа, изразило је жељу да се повуче из ове утак…
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Belfast Telegraph (outlet profile)
Republic of Ireland players vote to go ahead with Israel games
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The Independent (outlet profile)
Ireland to play controversial Israel Nations League fixtures after player vote. Ireland’s match against Israel on Sunday will go ahead as scheduled
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ANSA Sport (outlet profile)
Nations League: protesta giocatori Irlanda, ma con Israele si gioca. Tensioni a Debrecen, alcuni chiedevano di boicottare la gara ma la federazione la conferma
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Al Jazeera (outlet profile)
Israel-Ireland match to go ahead in Nations League after player vote. Ireland have delayed their pre-match media briefing and training as pressure grew, but player vote avoids game boycott.
Factual core
- The Irish squad voted to play the Nations League game against Israel.
- The decision to play the match was made following a vote by the Irish players.
- The decision to play came after calls to boycott the matches against Israel.
- Gavin Bazunu, the goalkeeper of the Republic of Ireland national team, announced he does not want to play in the match against Israel.