Under the lights in Debrecen, Ireland’s players made their position clear before a ball had been kicked against Israel. Wearing black armbands in tribute to those killed in the Gaza conflict, the Irish squad did not take part in the customary pre-match handshake at Sunday night’s Nations League fixture in Hungary.
The League B match, which began at 20:45, went ahead despite the prospect of a boycott amid heightened political tension between the two countries. Israel are staging their home internationals in Debrecen, with the conflict in Gaza continuing after Israel’s military response to the Hamas attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
Following the national anthems, the Ireland players did not greet their Israeli counterparts in the traditional line-up. There was also no exchange of pennants after the coin toss, with Israel captain Manor Solomon and Ireland skipper Dara O’Shea going straight into the formalities needed to start the game.
Ireland’s stance also affected their matchday squad. Substitute goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu chose not to take part in the fixture. Queens Park Rangers defender Jimmy Dunne was therefore named as Ireland’s third goalkeeper, ensuring the team met UEFA’s Nations League requirement to include three keepers on the official sheet.
