Ireland to face Israel in Nations League as one player leaves camp

The Republic of Ireland will take on Israel this Sunday in the second round of the Nations League despite one player refusing to take part and other squad members expressing concerns. The Football Association of Ireland confirmed on Saturday that the game will go ahead at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary, after a significant majority of the players voted to play.

• A significant majority of Ireland players voted in favour of playing the match against Israel.
• One player changed his mind in the morning and left the camp; The Irish Times identified him as goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.
• Head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson admitted the group is under enormous pressure and said playing does not mean endorsing what is happening in Gaza.
• The game takes place in Debrecen because Israel plays its home matches at neutral venues; the return fixture will be in Serbia in October behind closed doors.
• Ireland arrive after a 1-0 defeat to Kosovo, while Israel lost 3-1 to Austria on matchday one.

One Ireland player leaves camp ahead of the Nations League game against Israel

FAI chief executive David Courell appeared alongside Icelandic head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson in a tense press conference on Saturday. Courell explained that the decision to play followed an internal consultation in which the squad showed a clear majority in favour of fulfilling the fixture.

Hallgrímsson confirmed that one of his players had changed his mind that very morning and had already left the camp. The coach did not name the player, but The Irish Times pointed to goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, a senior international currently on loan at Standard Liège from Southampton. Hallgrímsson added that no other player had made the same decision, even though several members of the squad had expressed unease about the match.

Why Ireland vs Israel is being played in Debrecen and what happens with the return leg

Israel has been staging its home internationals outside its own territory for months due to security concerns. Debrecen, Hungary's second city, hosts this fixture on matchday two of the Nations League group.

The reverse fixture between Ireland and Israel is scheduled for 4 October in Serbia and will be played behind closed doors. The FAI decided in July to play both matches at neutral venues rather than join a complete boycott, a stance that has sparked sharp criticism in Ireland and public calls for the team to withdraw.

The pressure on Ireland players over the war in Gaza

Nobody is comfortable playing these matches for many reasons. We are trying to deal with it in the best way we can at the moment.

Hallgrímsson admitted that the situation has pushed his players to a very high level of tension. In his view, the group is under enormous strain because of the political context and the boycott campaigns promoted by different parts of Irish society, where support for Palestine is particularly strong.

The coach tried to separate the sporting commitment from any political stance. He said that taking the field does not mean accepting what is happening in Gaza or showing support for military operations. Playing, he insisted, is a competitive obligation within the international calendar.

The 'genocide' controversy and the response from the Israeli federation

During the press conference, Israeli journalists asked Hallgrímsson about comments he had made the previous week in which he described the situation in Gaza as genocide. Those remarks drew an angry reaction from the Israeli federation, which accused the Icelander of stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy.

It is a very strong word and it was not the right word for me to use. In Europe there is huge support for Palestine and in Ireland that support is especially strong. I felt that pressure was growing day by day and now it is reaching almost a breaking point.

The coach qualified his language and explained that the charged atmosphere in Ireland had influenced his choice of words. He described a climate that has become increasingly tense around this fixture, with demonstrations and active campaigns calling on the Irish team not to play.

How Ireland and Israel arrive at the second round of the Nations League

Neither side managed to pick up points on matchday one. Ireland fell to a narrow defeat against Kosovo, a setback that complicates their hopes in a group where every point matters. Israel, meanwhile, suffered a heavier 3-1 loss to Austria.

The Debrecen match therefore carries significant weight for both teams, who need to get their first points on the board. For Ireland, the game also comes wrapped in off-field noise that is difficult to manage and with a notable absence in goal.