FAI land on the solution that will draw maximum outrage and let the wrong people off the hook
The Ireland v Israel fiasco has shown up not just the FAI, but the government, Uefa and Fifa.
The FAI have settled on the only solution that satisfies practically no one and irritates the hell out of just about everyone.
In moving Ireland’s home game against Israel to a yet undeclared neutral country, they have gotten the backs up of pro-Palestinian protesters, Heimir Hallgrímsson, presumably some of his players, and those here in Ireland who were waiting to welcome with open arms the Israeli team.
Hallgrímsson has repeatedly stated his eagerness not to give away home advantage.
The only ones that come away as winners here are Israel themselves, who now get two games against Ireland on foreign soil.
As for Uefa, it’s relief more than anything that they don’t have to deal with the prospect of sanctioning the FAI over a move that would have won popular support within many of their member nations.
Their only statement on the matter on Friday read: “We can confirm that we are working together with the FAI to find an alternative venue for the UEFA Nations League match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel.
“We have no further comments to make on the matter at this time.”
It didn’t take long for the dissent to begin. Within hours of the FAI confirming the switch, Sinn Féin were out criticising both the government and the Association.
Their spokesperson on Sport Joanna Byrne was scathing in her remarks. She also pointed her finger at Uefa and Fifa.
There is a broadly held belief that the position the FAI has finally taken would have met with far less resistance had it been considered back in February when the draw was made.
But they went in two-footed within minutes of Patrick Vieira pairing Ireland with Israel in the Brussels Expo.
Their statement insisting that the “Ireland Men’s National Team will fulfil their 2026 UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel” fuelled an opposition that grew at breakneck speed.
As it became clear that the intention was to host Israel in Dublin, that opposition manifested itself in the Stop The Game protest that disrupted the Qatar friendly last month.
One thing that felt obvious at the time of the draw was that the FAI, knowing the strength of feeling among its members, should have been more sympathetic to their views in their initial communication.
Had they stated in the wake of the draw that they would canvas the Irish footballing community on the Israel games, there might have been more sympathy shown in return at their plight.
The FAI, it is acknowledged even by many of their detractors, are stuck between a rock and a hard place here.
As pointed out above, there is much here that has been of their own doing.
But they are isolated by the fact that Uefa and Fifa continue to turn a blind eye to Israeli breaches of their rules, and to the devastation in Gaza, as well as the annexation of yet more Palestinian land in the West Bank.
Had the FAI opted to boycott the games, the sad truth is there would have been little appetite within the wider footballing world to support them.
While Ireland were one of five countries to stay out of this year’s Eurovision, football politics would have seen others sit on their hands in the event of a decision not to play the games.
After all, there is far too much jockeying for blazer positions within Uefa and Fifa for anyone to row in with little old Ireland in a fight against a system rigged to shout down any support for the plight of the Palestinian people.
So senior FAI officials have had to settle for private messages of support from counterparts around Europe, and radio silence when it comes to public utterances.
Then there is the Irish government, which has shown itself to be all talk and no action when it comes to all things Israel.
The latest example was the voting down of the motion that came up in front of the Dáil this week.
As for Ministers Patrick O’Donovan and Charlie McConalogue, they scored a massive own goal by stating they would not attend the game if it was played in Dublin.
Their remarks came across as hypocritical and self-serving, given government statements on the games going ahead.
O’Donovan then said with a straight face on Friday, in the wake of the FAI’s decision: “We [the government] don't get involved in telling the FAI, IRFU or GAA who to play.”
Tell that to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who was a member of the administration that said no to visas for the Yugoslavian delegation in 1999.
Or to Jack Chambers, whose remarks in 2022, as junior sports minister, were reported this week on the Ditch.
Chambers wrote to every Irish sporting body telling them it was “imperative” to back a ban of Russia and Belarus in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
So here we are, with a solution that has angered just about everyone, and that has let the wrong people off the hook.
