A number of leading figures within the League of Ireland, as well as a former Ireland manager and women’s captain, have signed an open letter calling on the FAI to refuse to play Israel in the UEFA Nations League later this year.
A campaign by Irish Sport for Palestine, titled “Stop the Game” has been launched, with an open letter backed by high-profile figures in Irish soccer.
Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland chair and Shamrock Rovers captain Roberto Lopes – who is set to play in this summer’s World Cup for Cape Verde – urged the FAI to reverse its stance.
“We have to stop the game. As players and fans, our natural instinct is always to get out there and compete, but this is a moment where we need to look at the bigger picture. We can’t ignore the humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine; the sheer loss of life there has to take precedence over any sporting consideration. Ireland has an opportunity here to lead—to be a pioneer and do what others won’t. We need to be brave enough to say enough is enough. We can’t just stand by. Please, stop the game,” Lopes wrote.
Former men’s national team manager Brian Kerr and 2019 FAI women’s player of the year Louise Quinn are among those from inside the sport that added their names to the campaign.
Christy Moore, Fontaines DC and Kneecap are also among the 38 signatories.
The open letter addressed to the FAI called on them “to refuse to participate in the two scheduled UEFA nations league games against Israel.”
With “the clear and ongoing serious breaches of UEFA & FIFA statute regarding Israeli teams playing on occupied Palestinian lands”, adding “as a member of UEFA you have a duty to upload [sic] these rules if UEFA will not”.
The letter also highlights the landslide vote of FAI members last year, where 93% voted to instruct the organisation to call for Israel’s suspension to UEFA.
The FAI confirmed it would be fulfilling the fixtures, stressing that “serious consequences” would result from forfeiting the games, which would “materially harm the long-term sporting interests of Irish football”.
The governing body said at the time they had consulted with the government and An Garda Síochána and were satisfied that the home tie could be staged in Dublin.
“I don’t see a difference between Fifa and Uefa banning Russia and not Israel,” – Irish Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson
Heimir Hallgrímsson wants Israel thrown out of UEFA and FIFA competitions ; “Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson believes Fifa and Uefa should remove Israel from their competitions in the same way that they banned Russia.
Both Fifa and Uefa banned all Russian clubs and international teams on February 28th 2022, four days after the invasion of Ukraine.
“I don’t see a difference between Fifa and Uefa banning Russia and not Israel,” said Hallgrímsson. “I don’t see the difference.
“I am not speaking on behalf of the FAI – I just don’t see the difference.”
The Republic of Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn against Israel in September and October 2026 in the Nations’ League tournament. The sleeveen Dublin government, run by a right-wing coalition government (Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Beggar-Gombeens) [FFFGBG], is insisting the fixture must go ahead, despite rising popular opposition.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) debated the Israel issue at a November 2025 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and voted by a 91 per cent majority to expel the Israeli football team from all international competitions.
Bohemian FC Chief Operating Officer Daniel Lambert proposed the motion.
He said its purpose was to highlight “two serious breaches of the UEFA statutes that have taken place now for a long number of years”.
“First, and probably the most important, is that there are teams playing on occupied lands, which is explicitly prohibited by UEFA statute for very good reason.
“And the second is the absolute failure of UEFA to tackle serious instances and continued instances of racism, which has been highlighted by numerous Israeli NGOs, as well as international NGOs, so it’s not something that people are commenting on without knowledge.”
Mr Lambert said “it flies in the face of logic that one association, in a game governed by rules, can breach UEFA statutes with no measures taken against them, or with no roadmap to take any action”.
He said the motion will now be sent by the FAI to UEFA.
“We’ve asked the FAI to instruct UEFA EXCO ( executive committee) to take action against the Israeli FA under the statutes. They should be excluded from competitions, that’s what we’re hoping will happen.”
Sleeveen boss of the Dublin government Micheál Martin insists the game has to go ahead in Dublin – but retreat is on the agenda.
Irish Soccer Fans favour Boycott of Israeli TeamsMaccabi Tel Aviv Fans Attacked Palestinians in Amsterdam, November 14 2024Read the rest of this entry »
The former Irish international might accept an offer to co-manage Ireland with the Icelander Heimir Hallgrímsson.
Has far-right racist poison infected English sporting journalism again?
That’s like asking if the Pope is a Catholic.
From the Irish Times, September 7 2024
Irish Citizen Lee Carsley Will Not Sing “God Save the King”
Lee Carsley might have thought that an inquiry about anthem-singing at his pre-match press conference on Friday was harmless enough. “I fully respect both anthems and understand how much they mean to both countries,” he said. But he has never joined in on the crooning either as a player for Ireland or as manager of the England under-21s because he is “in a zone at that point”, he wants to focus on the match ahead, being “wary” of his mind “wandering off”.
Grand. Moving along … ooooooh, hold it.
Never mind asking God to save the King, it’s Carsley who needs saving from that section of the English press that lost its tiny mind on hearing his comments. It was the lead story – the lead! – on the front page – the front! – of the Telegraph and the Daily Mail, there was a deluge of incandescent opinion pieces, it featured on the news on BBC Radio and LBC and … you get the drift.
Garrett Mullan discusses an Anti-Ukrainian statement published by Dublin Communities Against Racism.
Irish Left With Ukraine activists were shocked to see anti-Ukrainian content in a post published online by Dublin Communities Against Racism (DCAR). The post by DCAR was meant to be a left position in response to the Dublin riots following the stabbing outside a primary school in Dublin’s Parnell Square on November 23 2023.
Garrett Mullan is on the right of this photo, demonstrating outside the Dublin Embassy of Russia; two elected representatives are also holding the ILWU banner : Mary Lou McDonald TD (President, Sinn Féin); John Lyons (Councillor, Dublin City, Independent Left)
The author of this article is Zoe Lawlor. Many thanks to Seán Marmion for bringing it to our attention.
Should Robbie Keane reconsider going to Israeli Football Club Maccabi Tel Aviv? When Robbie Keane was asked about his move to manage Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, he said he didn’t want to “get into politics”, but taking up a role in what has been declared apartheid is inherently political.
The Gaza Kids to Ireland project was launched officially by Brian Kerr in late 2014. The boys, coach and chairman of Al Helal Football Academy, Gaza City finally made it to Ireland in 2016. The logistics of trying to get out of Gaza are very complicated. The group needed Irish visas, permits for Jordan and most problematic – permits to leave Gaza by Israel. Palestinians are the only people who need permission to leave their country. Israel controls most aspects of life for the Palestinians in Gaza, and it controls whether they can leave or enter the Strip. The visa/permits process took months. Eventually the permits were granted but one player from the 15 – Karam Zedan wasn’t given a permit and neither were 5 of the adults due to travel, including the only woman. The cruelty of Israel denying one child from 15 the opportunity to travel to Ireland bears further consideration. Imagine how a 13-year-old boy must have felt seeing his friends and teammates going on a big adventure that they had been preparing for together for months. Karam was injured by the 2009 Israeli attack on Gaza and it’s likely they didn’t want him as living evidence of their war crimes. They played football against Ballybrack FC, Kinvara United, Nenagh AFC, Nenagh Celtic and Pike Rovers. They played on pitches, beaches and in parks. A highlight was their game in Ballybrack where the Palestinian community came out in numbers and reacted as if they had won the World Cup. They formed the guard of honour for Galway United versus Dundalk, played at half time to the delight and cheers of the Palestinian flag waving GUFC ultras. They met with President Michael D Higgins at this game in Galway United. The League of Ireland was very supportive of the children’s visit. In 2017 the Al Helal team were guard of honour for the Shamrock Rovers V Derry City game. President Michael D Higgins came to Tallaght that evening, for his first visit, especially to meet them. He made a speech and took loads of photos with the children. It was a serious act of solidarity from our President.
Tomás Ó Flatharta 