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Only fair for football association to be compensated for deciding Ireland team cannot in all conscience fulfil fixture

The first thing to say when commenting on whether the Republic of Ireland football team should fulfil its Uefa Nations League game against Israel in October is that I have some sympathy for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).

Fifa, Uefa, the Irish Government ... none of them should have put the association in the position it now finds itself. That’s said, I don’t feel it should simply abdicate responsibility and put the players in the position of having to make personal decisions on whether to play or not.

The issue of whether the game gets played should never have reached this stage, but now that it has the FAI should take a stand and refuse to participate.

Why should they do that? Because, while I love the game, we can lose sight of the fact there are bigger things than football and sometimes you simply have to do the right thing.

The notion that sport and politics should not be mixed is nonsense. It always has been. Governments have always exploited it for their own ends when it suited them and there is no reason to believe this is any different.

In this instance, I suspect the Israeli government will be delighted with the way things are working out. There has been obvious annoyance there with the opposition in Ireland to what they have been doing in Gaza and in now Lebanon. I’m sure they would have wanted this draw to happen so as to put the Irish Government on the spot.

So far, it is turning out well for them because despite all the talk about how much the Government supports the cause of the Palestinians and opposes the Israeli-perpetrated genocide, it seems as though the response from Ministers has been to shrug the situation around the game off and say it’s not their problem.

At least two leading politicians, Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan and the Minister for State Charlie McConalogue, have said they won’t attend the game, but if it’s right play the game then why aren’t they going? It strikes me as hypocritical really.

Will there be consequences for the FAI if it does refuse to play the game? Yes. But sometimes there is a price to be paid for doing the right thing and this is one of those situations.

It is wrong that a country that has done the things Israel has done in Gaza should be allowed to compete in international sport

Continue Reading Here -https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2026/06/05/mick-lynch-trade-union-activist-ireland-israel-football-nations-league-refuse-play/