The Republic of Ireland football team are set to don black armbands when they run out to face Israel in Sunday's Nations League clash amid calls for a boycott of the fixture over the war in Gaza. Controversy surrounding the match has snowballed in recent weeks as a "Stop The Game" petition organised by the Irish Sport for Palestine group has gathered pace. Speaking before the game, which is taking place in Hungary, Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell said the players intended to wear black armbands "in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict" as he confirmed the match would go ahead following hours of talks and a vote amongst the squad.
"And also, there will be elements of the pre-match ceremony that will not be partaken in by the Republic of Ireland," he told reporters on Saturday, adding that a "significant majority" of players had voted in favour of playing. In a statement following the announcement, the Israeli FA commended the FAI and the Irish squad on the decision, saying: "Football has won." "The separation between football and politics must be maintained; any other approach spells chaos and a dangerous slide in a slippery slope, leading to disastrous consequences for the game we all love," the statement reads. "The Irish Football Association and the national team players did the right thing by recognizing this".
Courell confirmed that one player had "expressed their discomfort with fulfilling this fixture" and had "indicated their intent to withdraw" from the match against Israel. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu announced in a post on Instagram on Saturday that he had refused to play due to his "personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong." "I have reached a decision that I have not taken lightly," he wrote. "I am a man of strong faith and try my best to be a person of character and principle therefore I feel it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel".
"It is important to note that my stance is not in opposition of the Israeli people or the Jewish community but against the atrocities in the region," he added. Asked about the impact on his team during the press conference with Courell, Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson described it as "a situation you can't win." "Obviously this affects all of them and like I said just just now, nobody is comfortable at the moment," the Icelander said. "There's a unique and a new balance in the situation that we are trying to tackle the best way we can at the moment," he added.
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