Handling home fixture with Israel will be FAI's next port of call

The Republic of Ireland insist they will fulfil their Nations League fixtures against Israel in the autumn despite calling for the country to be banned by UEFA last year. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA

Whether you consider it a sport or not, darts held the biggest appeal for Irish and British tourists on the red-eye flights into Brussels on Thursday.

Luke Littler leading the cast in Antwerp for the second weekly instalment of the Premier League had fans jetting in their droves.

Some of the revellers kept their fancy-dress costumes in their bags.

Others were decked out as frogs and bananas.

One diehard strayed outside the box by dressing as Bungle from Rainbow.

Nestled on the outskirts of the Belgian capital is the Brussel Expo, a string of conference buildings facilitating the city’s reputation as a European business hub.

It was on this campus that Johnny Logan delivered his second Eurovision Song Contest winner, Hold Me Now, in 1987.

There was nothing that loud going on of a drizzly Thursday afternoon, merely the fifth version of Uefa’s latest brainwave to replace meaningless friendlies.

From morning time, when Uefa’s annual congress held court, to later when managers took their turn to strut on the red carpet, there was quiet serenity of protocol about proceedings.

All was ambling along quietly until that one permutation which the FAI delegation dreaded came to pass – a group containing Israel.

Speculation mounted last Autumn about a coterie of Uefa’s members coalescing to apply pressure on their organisation to expel, or at least suspend, their member, owing to their ongoing involvement terrorising the Palestine populace.

Spain, Norway and Ireland had been vocal on the issue, while Scotland and Serbia were also referenced in the reports as supporters but unless the Spanish, or one of their powerhouse rivals spoke up, Uefa were prepared to be indifferent.

Ireland were drawn in the Nations League group B3 alongside Israel on Thursday

All along the party line has centred on autonomy, delegating responsibility to members for their actions. That’s not really a choice, for boycotts come with the threat of expulsion for those taking a stand.

The only other sporting body to face such a dilemma since the 2023 attack prompted an escalation in warfare have been the Irish basketball federation. Their situation was slightly different too insofar as the away games were staged on neutral territory. Irish players refused to shake hands.

An away fixture for the football team will likely be in Debrecen, the Hungarian city where their World Cup qualifiers were moved to. That both teams have World Cup playoffs first in March won’t alleviate the sensitivity around these games.

What will be zoned in on, once the fixture date is confirmed on Friday morning, is how the FAI intend handling the home game. Although season tickets for 2026 sold out, the likelihood is that specific game assuming a different format. A small financial hit of refunding a portion of ticket sales is logical for the greater good.

Not only will the build-up be overshadowed by moral outrage during every interview with players and staff but the prospect of protests elevates the case to a national security matter. Decisions may well be taken out of their hands.

Public demonstrations to date will be left in the shade compared to the degree of outcry, both in the media and on the streets. There’s also the practical matter of a hotel establishment assessing their conscience about accepting the business for the team’s stayover.

It’s our understanding that the FAI are exploring all eventualities on fixture management.

That contingency exercise was underway before the draw, stretching back almost a year when the pools were predetermined.

Given the concept of having a game at Lansdowne Road behind closed doors doesn’t remove the interference risk, taking the fixture out of Ireland is a real option.

The FAI have been immersed in enough domestic political battles during their journey to financial stability without getting dragged into an international episode.

Heimir Hallgrímsson was the FAI representative front and centre discussing all aspects of the draw despite his contract expiring in the event the World Cup odyssey concludes in March.

As we recently revealed, the FAI have offered the Icelander an extension that includes the Euro 2028 finals which Ireland are co-hosting but the finer points are still to be formalised.

“I’m confident that they (the FAI) want to keep me but I really want them to want me,” he said about talks with director of football John Martin.

“I expect to be the coach until after the World Cup at least - hopefully that will be mid-July at the finals.

“We haven't actually decided and we're kind of not worried about it.

“So, whether it will be before the end of this contract or when it finishes, we'll just have to decide.

“But it's in a good place. It's all positive.” 

If only the Irish football landscape was so rosy when there are arrows flying from all directions.

League A 

Group 1: France, Italy, Belgium, Turkey. 

Group 2: Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece. 

Group 3: Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia. 

Group 4: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales. 

League B 

Group 1: Scotland, Switzerland, Slovenia, North Macedonia.

Group 2: Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Northern Ireland. 

Group 3: Israel, Austria, Ireland, Kosovo. 

Group 4: Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Sweden. 

League C 

Group 1: Albania, Finland, Belarus, San Marino. 

Group 2: Montenegro, Armenia, Cyprus, Latvia or Gibraltar. 

Group 3: Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Faroe Islands, Moldova. 

Group 4: Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Luxembourg or Malta. 

League D 

Group 1: Gibraltar or Latvia, Malta or Luxembourg, Andorra. 

Group 2: Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein.