Republic of Ireland top footballers and figures are asking the national side to pull out of the Nations League match against Israel and are adding to the pressure on the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
An open letter organised by Irish Sport for Palestine has appealed to the FAI for action against Israel, claiming the breach of FIFA and UEFA rules, and has cited the war in Gaza. A vote was taken, and 93 percent of members in the FAI wanted to lobby for the suspension of Israel from international football, and now these top figures have asked to carry out that wish.
Signatories of the letter include Brian Kerr (former manager), Louise Quinn (international player), and Roberto Lopes (Shamrock Rovers captain), among many other sporting figures. Lopes believes that the humanitarian issues involved should be given a higher profile than the game: “The number of lives lost in Gaza cannot be ignored”.
The first match of the two takes place in Aviva Stadium, Ireland, on October 4, with a return fixture later in September in a neutral venue. Ireland’s Prime Minister, Micheal Martin, however, stated that he believes the games should be played, although he understands the opposition and cannot agree that sport and politics should be mixed.
The FAI chief executive, David Courell, said earlier in the week that not playing matches can result in heavy penalties, which could include disqualification from competitions. This is becoming an increasing issue for football as protests build and the FAI may have to make a decision between appeasing the nation and not suffering consequences themselves.
