Ireland goalkeeper reportedly refuses to face Israel in Nations League
Training and a pre-match press conference are delayed as the Irish squad discusses whether to play Sunday’s match following boycott calls over Gaza
Backup goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu informed the Football Association of Ireland that he did not want to play against Israel, the Irish Independent reported Saturday. Ireland’s training session and pre-match press conference were delayed as the squad discussed its position.
The teams were scheduled to meet Sunday in Debrecen, Hungary, and again on October 4 in Bačka Topola, Serbia. The return fixture, designated as Ireland’s home game, was moved overseas after the FAI cited operational difficulties in staging it in Ireland, and was scheduled to take place behind closed doors.
The fixtures drew calls for a boycott over Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson added to the controversy when he said: “We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. So, we’re playing against Israel. We’re not playing with Israel.”
The Israel Football Association responded by accusing Hallgrimsson of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy.” In a post on X, it said: “We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, we’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”
FAI members voted in November 2025 to request Israel’s suspension from UEFA competitions over alleged breaches of the organization’s statutes. The association nevertheless committed to fulfilling the Nations League fixtures, citing the risk of forfeiting the matches and facing further disciplinary measures, including possible disqualification.
The FAI also said UEFA rejected its request to keep Ireland and Israel apart in future competition draws. European soccer’s governing body said such decisions were assessed case by case, primarily on security grounds.
Israeli officials and Irish Jewish leaders warned of growing hostility toward Israel and rising antisemitism in Ireland following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and the ensuing Gaza war.
The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland received 143 reports of antisemitic incidents between July 2025 and January 2026, including verbal abuse, threats and vandalism. Israel announced the closure of its Dublin embassy in December 2024, citing what it called the Irish government’s “extreme anti-Israel policies,” an accusation Dublin rejected.