Republic of Ireland players wore black armbands and avoided pre-match handshakes with Israeli opponents during their Nations League fixture in Serbia.
Republic of Ireland players again wore black armbands, bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem, and avoided pre-match handshakes with the Israel team during their second Nations League match on October 4, 2026, in Backa Topola, Serbia.
Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher, stepping in as captain for Dara O’Shea, pointedly avoided shaking hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz, repeating an action taken by O'Shea in last week's match in Debrecen, Hungary. Israeli players also wore black armbands during the match in memory of those killed in the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The fixture was initially slated to be played in Dublin, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) moved the game to a neutral venue with no fans present for 'operational reasons' following widespread public calls for a boycott over Israel's actions in Gaza. This followed an FAI motion passed the previous November calling on UEFA to ban Israel from international and club competitions.
Leading up to the game, tensions remained high. On October 3, an Israeli journalist alleged during a press conference that Irish players had called Israeli players 'monkeys' during their previous game. Irish communications officer Kieran Crowley immediately denounced the claim as 'a lie' and ended the press briefing.
While reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from both fixtures stating his 'personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong,' the remainder of the Irish squad voted 14-8 to proceed with the matches after extensive deliberations.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Football. Photo courtesy The Hindu Football.