Republic of Ireland player speaks out about Israel match as team holds urgent meeting
A current Republic of Ireland player has suggested the national team should consider boycotting their upcoming Nations League games against Israel. Jason Knight, who plays for Bristol City in the Championship, shared his feelings after Ireland’s 1-0 loss to Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday, September 24.
Many people in Ireland have been calling for the team to sit out these matches because of the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza. The ‘Stop The Game’ campaign has gathered a lot of support.
After the Kosovo game, acting captain Dara O’Shea said the players would meet on September 25 to talk about what to do next. Knight said, “It’s a tough situation. The manager, Dara, and Nathan Collins spoke well about it. I don’t think the game should be happening, but it is.”
He added, “We’ll have a proper talk about it as a group and decide what that means. It’s a big topic in Ireland. I’ve been focusing on my football in England, but I knew this was coming, so I thought about it.”
No Irish fans will be allowed to attend the match in Debrecen, Hungary, which is the first ‘away’ game. The second match will be in Backa Topola, Serbia, on October 4. Irish TV channel RTÉ will show the game without any commentary, experts, or halftime shows.
Knight said, “We talked with the senior players about what to do next. Now we’ll have a deeper conversation and consider the consequences. None of us has been through something like this before, but I try to stay strong. I’ll focus on the football as much as I can and share my thoughts when it feels right.”
The conflict has been deadly, with over 73,000 people killed in Israeli attacks since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Some Irish fans have already shown their disagreement with playing against Israel. For example, during a friendly game against Qatar in Dublin in May, supporters protested by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) later voted on the issue. Out of 107 delegates, 75 voted to play the matches, while 32 wanted to boycott.
Before the international break, Ireland’s manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said, “We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. We’re playing against Israel, not with Israel,” when asked about the upcoming games.
On September 21, the Israeli Football Association responded on social media, praising their country’s many achievements but criticizing Ireland’s coach, calling his views “stupid” and “hypocritical.”