The Football Association of Ireland says a boycott of its autumn Nations League matches against Israel would bring significant and lasting harm to Irish football. It also puts a potential 10.3m euro loss on the line.
David Courell said the FAI had “no choice” but to fulfil the fixtures after the draw in February. The chief executive’s warning now sits beside a member vote that could push the issue into open conflict inside the game.
FAI board and David Courell
The board’s letter to members says refusing to play would result in UEFA disciplinary processes. It says those processes would include automatic forfeiture of six points, along with loss of income, potential disqualification from the competition and Nations League relegation.
That is the practical risk for the Republic of Ireland if members back a boycott at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the FAI’s General Assembly on Wednesday, 8 July. The outcome is non-binding on the FAI executive, but it adds pressure at a moment when the board has already brought forward a motion to the UEFA Executive Committee calling for the suspension of the Israel Football Association from UEFA competitions.
Debrecen and Backa Topola
The two Republic of Ireland games against Israel are scheduled for 27 September and 4 October. Both are set for neutral venues, with Debrecen in Hungary due to host Israel’s home game on 27 October and the Republic of Ireland’s home match scheduled behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia.
UEFA approved the move away from Dublin because of operational issues staging the home game there. The calendar is fixed for now, and the vote in Dublin is the point where the FAI must decide whether to follow the board’s line or face the sporting and financial penalties it says would follow.
Extraordinary General Meeting
The pressure behind the vote grew after more than 10% of members opposed playing the Nations League games. Irish Sport for Palestine launched a Stop the Game campaign, and the dispute also followed protests outside the Dail and disruptions during May’s friendly with Qatar.
What members choose on Wednesday will not settle the argument over Israel in the Nations League, but it will show whether the FAI’s warning about six points, loss of income and possible exclusion is enough to keep the fixtures on the field.
