Republic of Ireland could have faced “undetermined” sanctions had they not played their Nations League match against Israel on Sunday, FAI president Paul Cooke has said. Ireland won the game 3-0 in Hungary, but the fixture was played amid controversy.
The two Nations League fixtures, being staged at neutral venues, have been disputed since February when the teams were drawn together in Group B3. Ireland and Israel players did not shake hands, there was no exchange of pennants between captains Dara O’Shea and Manor Solomon, and the Irish squad bowed their heads when Israel’s anthem was played.
The Irish players had faced calls to withdraw because of the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, with a “Stop The Game” campaign organised by the pressure group Irish Sport for Palestine gathering pace. Cooke, speaking to RTE Sport, said that while standard punishments for not fulfilling a fixture were specified, there was also reference to other sanctions “undetermined”. He said it would depend on what sanctions Uefa levied, and cited the example of Southampton, who were expelled from the English Championship play-offs after admitting spying on opponents. He said Uefa did not threaten additional sanctions if the matches were not fulfilled.
There was real doubt on Saturday morning whether the fixture would take place, with players locked in a meeting at their hotel after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the game in protest and several others expressed concerns about fielding. The FAI later confirmed a players’ vote passed by a “significant majority” to play. The second match between the sides will take place on 4 October in the Serbian town of Backa Topola.
Cooke praised the players and manager Heimir Hallgrimsson after the victory and defended the FAI’s handling of the build-up. “Some people think it was quite well handled,” he said. “We said all along that we would play the game. That was mandated through us by our members, through the board, and we’ve fulfilled one of the fixtures now thanks to the courage of those players who played tonight and togged out.”
Cooke was also asked about Uefa’s response to an FAI letter sent last November which proposed Israel’s expulsion from international and club competitions. He said: “Their response was that they’d consider it and they’re still considering it.” He has spoken to the other countries in the group, Austria and Kosovo, asking if they would back sanctions against Israel. “I’ve certainly spoken to the other countries in our group and they reaffirmed their decisions to play the games,” he said.