THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION of Ireland (FAI) should be “brave” and refuse to play the Nations League fixtures against Israel, an Irish MEP has said. 

Speaking to journalists in Strasbourg this morning, Labour representative and Dublin MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said he hopes the FAI will bow to the pressure of football fans and boycott the two upcoming games. 

His comments come ahead of an FAI Extraordinary General Meeting at the Aviva Stadium this evening to vote on a motion regarding the matches.

FAI members will be asked to vote on the motion which states:

“While acknowledging the strength of feeling regarding support for Palestine and the upcoming UEFA Men’s Nations League fixtures, that the members recognise the profound impact that any non-fulfilment of UEFA fixtures would have on Irish football as a whole and on its future development, and accordingly endorses the Association fulfilling its obligations in respect of those fixtures.” 

Ó Ríordáin said that as a football fan, he understands where the FAI is coming from but that a principled stance must be taken.

“They didn’t want this problem. This problem should have been dealt with at FIFA and UEFA level.

“Although we’ve all seen that FIFA are so irredeemably corrupt that it’s impossible for any high-ranking FIFA officials to lie straight in bed, never mind make a decision that is based on morality,” he added. 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has denied any wrongdoing in relation to the recent World Cup red card scandal involving interference from US President Donald Trump. 

“UEFA should have definitely made this decision for the FAI,” Ó Ríordáin said, adding that Israel should not be involved in the competition, similar to how Russia has been treated since its invasion of Ukraine.

He added: “When it came to it, I was hoping that the Irish government might intervene as it did in 1999 when the Yugoslavian visiting team weren’t afforded visas. They can’t do that anymore, because the game is going to be played in Serbia.”

Ó Ríordáin said that by not playing the games, it would give “more self-confidence” to other football associations, such as Norway or Spain to not play fixtures against Israel.

Changing landscape

Ó Ríordáin said while he believes that boycotting the games is an important move, what he sees as more important is for political action against Israel to be taken at an EU level.

Specifically, he said the EU must move to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement as this would have significant financial ramifications for the Israeli State.

Ó Ríordáin, who sits in the S&D grouping in the EU Parliament, said Gaza has fallen down the political agenda at an EU level over the last six to eight months. 

“People don’t care enough about it,” he said.

“And Ireland, when you take a leadership position on an issue such as Palestine, well then you have to go the whole hog. And I think there sometimes comes a moment in history where one country does something, or one football association does something that gives other people the space and the bravery to do the same.”

Earlier this week, returning from the World Cup, Dublin man and Cape Verde centre-back ‘Pico’ Lopes said the games against Israel should not be played.

“Some things are bigger than football, and this is definitely one of them,” he said.

As things stand, Ireland’s men’s away game against Israel will be played in Debrecen in Hungary on 27 September, while the home game on 4 October has been moved from the Aviva Stadium to Bačka Topola in Serbia, where it is due to be played behind closed doors.