Republic of Ireland's footballers repeated their now-familiar Gaza protest on Sunday, wearing black armbands, bowing their heads during the Israeli national anthem and refusing to shake hands with Israel's players before the sides drew 1-1 in a Nations League tie played behind closed doors on neutral ground in Serbia, according to Al Jazeera.

Table of Contents

  1. The same protest, a second time
  2. A tense 1-1 draw
  3. A fixture Ireland never wanted to play
  4. Saturday's press-room clash
  5. Both sides in black
  6. Where UEFA stands
  7. Key takeaways
  8. Sources
  9. More on Chronicle

The same protest, a second time

Sunday's match in Backa Topola, Serbia, mirrored the scenes from the first leg in Debrecen, Hungary, on September 27. Ireland captain Caoimhín Kelleher — standing in for Dara O'Shea, who was excused to attend the birth of his child — pointedly avoided shaking hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz, though he completed the usual formalities with the referee. Irish players again bowed their heads as Israel's anthem played.

The Irish squad first staged the protest last week in Hungary: black armbands in memory of Palestinians killed in Gaza, no handshakes before or after the match, no pennant exchange. That game ended 3-0 to Ireland. Sunday's return leg was Israel's nominal home fixture, moved to neutral ground.

A tense 1-1 draw

The League B tie ended in a 1-1 stalemate, played in front of empty stands. It was, as Al Jazeera put it, "once again played out in a confrontational manner" despite the absence of fans. Manor Solomon — the Israel captain whose handshake O'Shea declined in the first leg — was dropped to the bench for Sunday's match, while Sayed Abu Farchi returned from suspension after his red card following a goal celebration in Israel's 3-1 defeat to Austria on September 25.

A fixture Ireland never wanted to play

The Irish players' unease with the tie is no secret. Before the first leg, the squad held a vote on whether to fulfil the fixture at all, after a player-led campaign backed by more than 160 Irish sportspeople called for a boycott over Israel's war in Gaza. One player, goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, refused to take part, saying playing would be wrong "while innocent people are being killed."

A significant majority voted to play. Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said after the 3-0 win that the team had "raised awareness worldwide" about the conflict — "and that is normally the reason for protesting, to raise awareness of a situation."

Saturday's press-room clash

Tensions boiled over before a ball was kicked on Sunday. At a pre-match press conference, Irish officials and Israeli journalists clashed when one journalist asked about the players' support for Palestinians. Football Association of Ireland (FAI) communications manager Kieran Crowley tried to shut down the question — "football questions only" — and vehemently denied allegations that Irish players had made racist remarks toward their opponents, shouting "that's completely untrue" before the conference ended early, The Hindu reported.

Both sides in black

In a striking twist, the Israeli players also wore black armbands — in memory of those killed in the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. UEFA approved the Israel Football Association's request in advance, as its rules reserve armbands for recognized tragedies and national mourning.

Finn Azaz — whose mother has Israeli heritage — was among the Irish substitutes on Sunday after starting against Austria on Thursday, a small human footnote to a fixture freighted with politics.

Where UEFA stands

European football's governing body finds itself walking a tightrope. The FAI itself tabled a motion last November calling on UEFA to ban Israel from club and international competitions, yet has resisted boycotting the fixtures itself, arguing Ireland would face sanctions. The games went ahead — but the optics of empty stadiums, bowed heads and refused handshakes have turned a routine Nations League double-header into one of the most politically charged fixtures of the season.

Key takeaways

  • Ireland and Israel drew 1-1 in the second leg of their Nations League tie in Serbia; Ireland won the first leg 3-0 in Hungary.
  • Irish players repeated their protest: black armbands for Palestinians killed in Gaza, bowed heads during Israel's anthem, no handshakes.
  • Israel's players wore UEFA-approved black armbands in memory of the October 7 victims.
  • A press-conference clash on Saturday underlined the depth of feeling around the fixture.
  • The tie has become UEFA's most politically fraught of the Nations League campaign.

Sources

More on Chronicle