FAI warned Ireland vs Israel security failure would 'reflect badly on the State', records show

A summary of FAI CEO David Courell's call states: 'FAI notes that.... there are multiple ways in which to disrupt/protest the game, and that a security failure around October 4 would reflect badly on it and on the State'. File picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell warned that a “security failure” at the Ireland vs Israel game would “reflect badly on the State”, as he insisted that a decision on how the game should proceed “should not be solely for the FAI to determine”.

Ahead of the decision to relocate the game from Dublin to Serbia, Mr Courell warned the Department of Sport that the Israeli Football Association was failing to secure “suitable” hotel accommodation in Dublin.

FOI request

The details of the phone call between Mr Courell and assistant secretary general and head of the sport division at the Department of Culture, Communications, and Sport, Cian Ó Lionáin, were released to the Irish Examiner following a Freedom of Information request.

On June 12, the FAI confirmed that the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) had approved a request to host the Nations League fixture between Ireland and Israel on October 4 overseas, rather than in the Aviva Stadium.

At the end of June, it was confirmed that the game would take place in Serbia.

However, a note taken by Mr Ó Lionáin following a phone call with Mr Courell on May 26 shows the FAI chief encouraging the Government to assist in deciding whether or not the game should be played in Dublin.

The details of the call were sent to Feargal Ó Coigligh, the secretary general in the Department of Culture, Communications, and Sport.

Mr Courell advised that playing the game at a neutral overseas venue is “typically not an option unless there are significant security concerns regarding the hosting of the game at home”.

He said that unless there was a specific security warning from An Garda Síochána, “playing the game overseas is not possible”.

“FAI notes that the ‘Stop the Game’ campaign is building, that there are multiple ways in which to disrupt/protest the game, and that a security failure around October 4 would reflect badly on it and on the State,” Mr Ó Lionáin said following his conversation with Mr Courell.

“As such, it considers that it should not be left solely to the FAI to determine whether to proceed with a Dublin game vs Israel and that there would be input from/engagement with a number of State stakeholders.”

Mr Ó Lionáin noted that the FAI had asked for consideration to be given to a “cross-government examination of whether the October 4 game presents a significant risk, and that an overseas venue should be sought”.

Mr Courell noted that any decision would have to be taken before June 6, as an application to move the game would have to be made 100 days before it was due to take place.

Pressure on FAI

The FAI chief also told Mr Ó Lionáin that “pressure” on the organisation was “building” and that “individualised abuse [was] becoming more common”.

A follow-up email to Mr Ó Coigligh from Mr Ó Lionáin the following day noted that Mr Courell had been reminded that government ministers had “clearly stated” the “playing of the game and arrangement as to venue are a matter for the FAI itself, in conjunction with An Garda Síochána”.

Despite the decision to move the Republic of Ireland’s game against Israel to Serbia, the Stop the Game campaign is continuing to call for both this game and a second Nations League meeting to be cancelled completely.

• Louise Burne, Political Correspondent