Ireland Players Again Refuse Handshake with Israel Skipper Amid Politically Charged Match
Team members also bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem, mirroring their stance from a previous fixture.
Republic of Ireland players repeated their stance of bowing their heads for the Israeli anthem and declining to shake hands with their Israeli counterparts prior to their Nations League fixture in Serbia.
Caoimhin Kelleher, who captained Ireland, and Dor Peretz, the Israeli captain, did not exchange handshakes before the match kicked off. This mirrored the actions taken during the previous fixture between the two nations.
The Irish team and officials had faced significant pressure to boycott both fixtures due to Israel's military actions in Gaza. A campaign called 'Stop The Game,' supported by former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr and ex-international James McClean, had called for the withdrawal.
However, Ireland players voted to play in the prior match, which they won 3-0. For that game, players and staff wore black armbands and lowered their heads during the Israeli national anthem, and opted against exchanging pennants. The team repeated this stance in Serbia.
The Serbian town of Backa Topola hosted the fixture after the Football Association of Ireland decided in June to move the match overseas. The Israeli team also wore black armbands for the second meeting, a decision approved by UEFA to honor victims of attacks on October 7, 2023.
Ireland was without second-choice goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who made himself unavailable for both fixtures. Finn Azaz, who has Israeli heritage, was named on the bench, having played in Ireland's other Nations League matches.
Prior to the match, Ireland's press conference was ended early after an Israeli journalist alleged that Ireland players had used a racist term to describe their opponents. An Irish official denied the accusation, stating it was "completely untrue."