Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said it was his decision to omit Finn Azaz from the Nations League clash with Israel, despite the midfielder’s Israeli heritage.
Azaz was included in Ireland’s squad for Sunday’s match but did not leave the bench as his team secured a 3-0 victory over Israel in Debrecen, Hungary.
The 26-year-old had completed the full 90 minutes three days earlier, when Ireland suffered a 1-0 defeat against Kosovo.
Azaz’s mother holds Israeli citizenship, and the midfielder has previously revealed that his grandmother served as a general in the Israeli Defence Forces.
Explaining why Azaz was not used, Hallgrimsson said the player was in a “different position to other players in the squad”.
“We thought he wasn’t ready to play,” Hallgrimsson said. “He wanted to play, but it was my decision. He wasn’t fit enough to play this game.”
Finn Azaz was an unused substitute during the Republic of Ireland’s match against Israel
Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said Azaz, who has Israeli heritage, was “in a different position to the other players” in his squad
“Obviously, he is in a different position to other players in our squad. We have been supporting him along the way.
“We thought other players would fit better to win this game. We wanted to win this game and try to pick the best players to play and win.
“Today, we thought others would fit better than him.”
Before kick-off in Hungary, Ireland’s players bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem and declined to shake hands with their opponents.
The Nations League fixture had been surrounded by controversy, with the Irish team and football officials facing intense pressure to boycott the match because of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Calls for Ireland to withdraw formed part of the “Stop The Game” campaign, organised by pressure group Irish Sport for Palestine and backed by former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr and ex-international James McClean.
The Irish Independent reported that Azaz delivered an “impassioned speech” to teammates, presenting an Israeli perspective during discussions over whether the fixture should go ahead.
Reports in Ireland have suggested that Azaz is considering retiring from international football after this window.
Reports in Ireland have claimed Azaz is considering retiring from international football
The Ireland XI look to the floor during the playing of the Israel national anthem
Israel’s players stood for the anthem as Ireland’s bowed their heads
Azaz discussed his mixed Irish and Israeli heritage in an interview with the Sunday Times last year.
‘A lot of my dad’s family are over in Ireland and my mum’s dad died when I was quite young. My grandmother was a very special and unique woman,’ Azaz said.
‘She was in the Israeli army as a general and then she came to England and built an extremely successful business by herself.
‘My grandfather was an artist, so she was very much in charge of raising the three kids.’
Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad for Sunday’s fixture, with the Bolton star saying ‘I am a man of strong faith and try my best to be a person of character and principle’, adding: ‘My decision is based purely upon my belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.
‘It is important to note that my stance is not in opposition to the Israeli people or the Jewish community but against the atrocities in the region.’
Bazunu is set to return for Ireland’s next Nations League match against Austria on October 1, but will be absent again three days later when they take on Israel again.
Players had voted to fulfil the fixture and also agreed to wear black armbands in recognition of all the lives lost in the conflict. Ireland also decided against giving a pennant to Israel to mark the match – a standard gesture in all international fixtures.
Ireland’s substitutes and staff also looked at the floor during Israel’s anthem, with the squad having voted to play the match
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad due to Israel’s actions in Gaza
The customary pre-match handshake did not take place and during the playing of the Israel anthem, Ireland’s starting XI looked towards the floor in unison – as did their substitutes.
The gesture was the latest sign of growing hostility towards Israel after 12 countries including the UK, France and Canada announced sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank earlier this month.
Ireland won 3-0 after first-half goals from Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan, who took off his black armband and kissed it when celebrating.
There were no handshakes at full time and Ireland’s players were booed as they left the field.
Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson had also said that ‘nobody is comfortable playing these games for many reasons’ and, earlier in the week, said his team were ‘playing against genocide’.
A training session on Saturday was delayed by five hours while players decided whether to boycott the match which was held in Debrecen, Hungary, with Israel playing in neutral venues due to the conflict.
Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell said a ‘significant majority’ voted to play.
UEFA rules mean teams must name at least three goalkeepers in their squad and Bazunu’s withdrawal meant that Jimmy Dunne, the QPR centre-back, was named as a keeper on the official team-sheet.
Irish broadcaster RTE cut back its screening of the game with no studio punditry, no advertising and only using commentary from an international feed.
Hallgrimsson was heavily criticised in Israel for saying Ireland are ‘playing against genocide’
It said it would only ‘meet its contractual obligations’ to broadcast the fixtures.
The match came against a backdrop of ongoing and increasingly volatile disagreement between the two countries about Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
In May 2024, Ireland officially recognised a Palestinian state – alongside Spain and Norway – and later that year joined South Africa’s Gaza genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice.
The country has also refused to take part in Eurovision due to Israel’s ongoing participation in the song contest and was the first EU nation to boycott goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
In June, the country issued travel bans on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Ireland are set to play Israel again on Sunday but it will be behind closed doors at a neutral venue in Serbia.
As soon as Ireland were placed with Israel – as well as Austria and Kosovo – at the Nations League draw in February, the FAI faced demands from some to boycott the matches.
But the FAI eventually took a vote of its delegates in July, in which 75 members voted to play the matches and 32 voted to boycott.
It decided this summer to play its ‘home’ fixtures against Israel at a neutral stadium, citing ‘operational challenges that could impact on the delivery of the game on home soil’.
No tickets were sold to Irish fans for either the ‘home’ or ‘away’ matches, while a small allocation was available for Israeli fans for the first fixture, which has been the case at multiple previous Israel home games held in Hungary.
Hungary was chosen because it enjoys a stronger diplomatic relationship with Israel compared to many other European nations, and it has been willing to provide the necessary policing and security arrangements for matches to take place.
While the FAI gave no official reason for the selection of Backa Topola in Serbia, the remoteness of the town may make security management easier and reduces the possibility of demonstrations.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry on Saturday said the Palestinian death toll has risen to 74,016, with 175,068 wounded.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants invaded Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage.
While a ceasefire that took effect last October 10 has halted the heaviest fighting, Israeli strikes have continued in what the military has said are responses to threats or attacks.
Since the ceasefire, 1,145 Palestinians have been killed, said the ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government.
Meanwhile, seven Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.
Next steps in the US-brokered ceasefire remain largely stalled.
Israeli forces now control over half of the territory, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they will not withdraw until Hamas disarms.
