NewzPressure to boycott upcoming Nations League games against Israel over that country’s actions in Gaza took its toll on the Ireland team Saturday when players talked for hours, voted on their participation, and one departed the squad.Ireland is due to play Israel in Debrecen, Hungary in the first of those games Sunday, but the team’s press conference and training session Saturday were delayed by more than five hours as the players again held discussions among themselves in the team hotel over whether they should play.“A player expressed their discomfort with fulfilling this fixture to the head coach and indicated their intent to withdraw from the squad," David Courell, the CEO of the Football Association of Ireland, told journalists in the rescheduled press conference. “As you can understand, this new variable required time and deliberation for the rest of the squad to consider.”Courell said a vote was taken among the players and that “a significant majority” were in favor of continuing with the games.“Based on that, the association took the decision on behalf of Irish football that this fixture would continue as we have always intended to fulfill the fixtures,” Courell said.Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu reportedly told the team Friday night that he did not want to play. His name was not mentioned in the press conference, but Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said a player was leaving the squad.“All the rest of the players are training today,” Hallgrimsson said.
“It’s an ongoing discussion and we haven’t come to a kind of conclusion on this, but we are going ahead, the game is going ahead, we’re going to train. And there will be more discussions tonight and probably tomorrow."Black armbandsCourell said the players were uncomfortable dealing with questions “that are not about football” so they had requested not to have to deal with media obligations around Sunday's match.“They also have the intention of wearing black armbands in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict," Courell said. "And also there will be elements of the pre-match ceremony that will not be partaken in.”He added that both the players and the FAI will be making a “significant contribution” to charity from both match fees – neither of which is open to Irish fans – and from Ireland's game against Austria in Dublin on Oct.
1.Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ said last week it will only provide s… His name was not mentioned in the press conference, but it appears he has left the squad.“All the rest of the players are training today,” Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said. And there will be more discussions tonight and probably tomorrow."Journalists in Debrecen — where Israel’s “home” game is to be played Sunday — were left waiting after being told the press conference was being pushed back until after training.
That was 15 minutes before it was supposed to begin. Training was also significantly delayed, however.Pressure buildsThe team has been coming under increasing pressure in Ireland, where affinity with Palestinians is strong, to boycott the two games — the first on Sunday and the second, Ireland’s “home” game, in Backa Topola, Serbia on Oct. 4.Ireland midfielder Jason Knight said after Thursday’s 1-0 loss in Kosovo that the players were in a difficult situation and that he didn’t think the matches should be going ahead.Hallgrimsson previously said “we’re n…
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