‘I’m not going to be the one’: Uncomfortable Ireland players united over Israel fixtures
Ireland’s players feared being outliers by boycotting the double-header against Israel, according to manager Heimir Hallgrímsson.
The Icelander made a point of speaking to all 26 members of the squad he named yesterday to gauge their appetite for facing a country found by an independent UN report to have committed genocide in Palestine.
All have vowed to assemble on Sunday for a four-game window that kicks off in Kosovo next Thursday.
It will be only after they gather that players are due to discuss whether to comply with traditional pre-match protocols around handshakes or choose to follow Norway’s example in 2021 when they donned ‘human rights’ t-shirts.
There also appears a high probability that players won’t appear in the customary media engagements next week, bar the obligatory duties to broadcast rights holders.
Hallgrímsson, who began his 21-game reign this time two years ago, admitted he was unsure of how extensive sanctions on the FAI would be by forfeiting the fixtures, other than to declare it was ‘unheard of not to show up’.
In summarising the attitude of his players, the manager preferred to flag the unified position as indicative of camaraderie rather than highlight scope for an individual to withdraw on grounds of conscience.
“I can say, honestly, that some of them felt really uncomfortable playing the game but this kind of it shows the team spirit,” said the 59-year-old.
“They said: 'I’m not going to be the one'. If we decide to play, I’m in it as one of the team.
“I think it’s brilliant, even in these circumstances, to have them want to represent this team and be a part of it.
“It's really nice for me to hear no matter how uncomfortable it is for the players.”
Hallgrímsson declined to reveal personal preferences among his player pool, aside from conveying a kaleidoscope of views.
“There are different strengths of opinions, which can happen by us coming from different places,” he outlined.
“It might be this angle and that angle but I think diversity is a strength of the Irish.
“We all agree that to represent the nation as well as we possibly can try to let the outside noise in. Players need to focus on their job as footballers.
"Let the politicians and the (FAI) administration staff deal with all the other stuff.”
Controversy will continue to rage over the games on September 27 and October 4 that are being contested in neutral countries of Hungary and Serbia.
The Stop The Game campaign group will stage their latest protest this morning outside Lansdowne Road where chief executive David Courell is conducting a series of media interviews that began last night.
Hallgrímsson is content that the FAI hierarchy, Courell today and his director of football John Martin on Monday, are facing the media scrutiny in order to lessen the spotlight on his players.
He did, however, indicate preference for a united front, the lack of which he was victim of in February immediately after the draw in Brussels.
While they have been magnifying the repercussions of non-fulfilment, in monetary terms up between €5.5m and €10m, the manager didn’t seem aware of specific punishment.
This may be because Uefa don’t specify sanctions such as expulsion – that Hallgrímsson appeared to be citing as a deterrent to boycott.
Uefa’s recent decision to scrap automatic relegation from League B nullifies one of the FAI’s main risks floated to justify participation.
“No, I'm not clear on it,” he said of the potential disciplinary measures from Uefa.
“I think that's for them (the FAI) who take the decision on it. I'm not sure if they even asked the question what the sanction would be.
“It's unheard of not to show up for games. So, as the first time, they would probably make an example. I think we’d be kicked out of the competition.
“The lack of relegation is a cheap reason for not playing because there’s so many other factors. It’s not my decision but I feel it would be dangerous. We are co-hosting Euro 2028 and what if we’re drawn against Israel again?”
His stance is also influenced by the motivation of a second-placed finish in a group, that also includes Austria, will promote Ireland to second seeds in the Euro draw in Belfast on December 6.
Free agents Robbie Brady and Séamus Coleman will need to find clubs if they’re to reclaim their spots, albeit the latter volunteered his absence as an act of fairness to rivals currently playing.
Owen Elding, Joel Bagan and newly-declared Coventry City defender Liam Kitching are the uncapped trio in the panel while Jack Moylan returns having been sent-off against Qatar.
Injured pair Nathan Collins and Evan Ferguson are targeting the next window in November, away to Austria and home to Kosovo, for their international comebacks.
At least by then the football discussion will have resumed.
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