Irish footballers wear black armbands, refuse handshakes vs Israel
Irish footballers refused to shake hands with the Israeli national team before the Nations League match. The Irish squad emerged onto the pitch in Debrecen, Hungary, wearing black armbands in memory of those who died during the war in Gaza, according to RTE.
Consensus
- The match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel took place in Debrecen, Hungary.
- The Irish team wore black armbands in memory of people killed in Gaza.
- The Irish players refused to shake hands with the Israeli team before the match.
- The Irish players lowered their heads during the Israeli national anthem.
- The match ended with a 3–0 victory for Ireland.
- One Irish player, goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, refused to play in protest.
- The Irish team held an internal vote on whether to play the match.
- The match was played on a neutral field.
- The Irish Football Association later voted to request Israel's exclusion from UEFA tournaments.
Points of divergence
- The Irish team held a vote on whether to play, and the result was not officially disclosed. Former coach Brian Kerr claimed 14 players voted in favor and 8 against. — meduza
- Captain Dara O'Shea stated that the decision to play was made by UEFA, not the players. — meduza
- Over 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter calling for a boycott of the match with Israel. — meduza
- The Irish government has recognized Palestine as an independent state and supported South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. — meduza
- The Irish parliament passed a resolution labeling Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide. — meduza
- Head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson initially used the word 'genocide' to describe Israel, later admitting it was too strong. — meduza
- Jack Moylan, the player who scored the final goal, showed the black armband to Israeli fans. — tg_echoonline_news
- The Irish FA voted 74 to 7 in favor of requesting Israel's exclusion from UEFA competitions. — tg_echoonline_news
- The Irish FA requested that future draws avoid pairing the two teams, but was denied. — tg_echoonline_news
Coverage (2 sources)
- Irish footballers wore mourning armbands for the Gaza victims and refused to shake hands with Israel opponents. Match almost cancelled — Meduza
- Irish footballers refused to shake hands with Israel national team before Nations League match — ЭХО / Новости