Republic of Ireland player plans to retire after team’s political protest against Israel
A Republic of Ireland star might retire from international football after his teammates protested before their match against Israel. Heimir Hallgrimsson’s team traveled to Debrecen, Hungary, for a Nations League game, but many people wanted the Irish players to boycott because of the conflict between Israel and Palestine in Gaza.
The players chose to go ahead with the match, but goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu said he wouldn’t play. In an Instagram post, he explained it was because of “a personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.” Despite this, the team still showed their stance in other ways. They refused to shake hands with the Israeli players, and no pennants were exchanged between the captains.
Before the match, when captains Dara O’Shea and Israel’s Manor Solomon did the coin toss, they didn’t shake hands either. The Irish players wore black armbands out of respect for the conflict victims, even though UEFA usually doesn’t allow this. During the national anthem at Nagyerdei Stadion, the Irish players bowed their heads. After Jack Moylan scored Ireland’s third goal, he took off his armband and kissed it.
There was a tricky situation with Finn Azaz, who plays for Southampton and has 15 caps for Ireland. Azaz is also Israeli through his mother, and he once shared that his grandmother was a general in the Israeli army. According to David Sneyd from The42, Azaz might retire from international football because of the controversy. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) fears the pressure could lead to this decision.
Azaz chose to play for Ireland because of his father, who’s from Cork. He was a substitute in the game against Israel. The Irish Independent said he gave a passionate speech before the match, but since he was on the bench, it’s unclear if he joined the head-bowing with the other players.
Ireland will face Israel again in Serbia on October 4, after playing Austria this Thursday. Bazunu’s decision to boycott came very late and caused a tough choice in Ireland’s squad. UEFA rules say teams must have three goalkeepers, but with Bazunu out, Ireland only had two: Caoimhin Kelleher and Max O’Leary. So, they got around the rule by naming center-back Jimmy Dunne as the third goalkeeper. Dunne, 28, has played three times for Ireland and made his senior debut in March 2025.