Football Association of Ireland chief executive David Courell has revealed that Uefa turned down a request to prevent the Republic of Ireland and Israel from being paired in future competition draws.
The Republic of Ireland and Israel were placed in the same group during February’s draw and are scheduled to face each other in Nations League matches on 27 September and 4 October.
In June, the FAI announced that its home fixture on 4 October would take place behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia, rather than at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Irish supporters will also receive no ticket allocation for Israel’s designated home match in Debrecen, Hungary.
During an extraordinary general meeting in July, delegates approved an FAI proposal to play the matches, amid warnings that a boycott could inflict “serious and long-term damage” on the association.
The choice to go ahead with the fixtures has nevertheless faced growing opposition because of the continuing conflict in the Middle East. Irish Sport for Palestine has launched a ‘Stop The Game’ campaign urging the team to boycott the matches.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Courell explained that Uefa had rejected the association’s request concerning future draws. The proposal was submitted after the two national teams were paired in February.
“The reply was unambiguous. Uefa has an official name for the arrangement, although I cannot recall the exact wording—something like a ‘do not draw’ list. It applies mainly to countries involved in direct conflicts rather than situations driven by public opinion,” Courell explained, external.
“The response I received left no room for doubt. The request could not be accepted because Ireland and Israel have never been directly engaged in conflict. I accepted that explanation as it was given.”
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