The Football Association of Ireland has confirmed that a formal request to Uefa, asking that the Republic of Ireland and Israel be kept apart in future competition draws, was turned down by European football's governing body.
FAI chief executive David Courell disclosed the rejection while speaking to reporters, explaining that the appeal was lodged after the two nations were paired together in February's Nations League draw. Ireland and Israel are now due to face each other twice, on 27 September and again on 4 October.
According to Courell, Uefa maintains a mechanism—often referred to as a "do not draw" list—that separates nations only in cases of direct conflict between countries, rather than in response to broader public opinion or political sentiment. "The response was pretty clear. They [Uefa] have a formal term for it, I can't remember the formal term, the 'do not draw' list or whatever. It's based, really, on conflicts, direct conflicts, not public sentiment," Courell said. He added that Uefa's reasoning was that Ireland and Israel have never been engaged in direct conflict with one another, a position he said he accepted at face value.
The fixtures have already been altered because of the sensitivities surrounding them. Ireland's home game on 4 October will not be staged at Dublin's Aviva Stadium but instead behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia. Meanwhile, Israel's nominal home fixture will be held in Debrecen, Hungary, with no tickets made available to travelling Irish supporters.
The decision to go ahead with the matches was ratified by delegates at an extraordinary general meeting in July, where the FAI argued that boycotting the fixtures could inflict "significant and lasting harm" on the association. That stance has nonetheless faced growing scrutiny given the continuing conflict in the Middle East. A campaign titled "Stop The Game," organized by Irish Sport for Palestine, has pushed for a boycott of the fixtures and has drawn backing from former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr and ex-international James McClean. Tensions around the issue were highlighted in May when a friendly against Qatar in Dublin was interrupted after tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch in protest.
Courell acknowledged the depth of public feeling on the matter, telling RTE he understood the frustration many Irish supporters feel. He noted that the FAI had previously urged Uefa to exclude Israel from European competition altogether, making Ireland the only one of Uefa's 55 member federations to take that formal step. "We wish we weren't in this position. We have publicly called for, and formally called for, Israel's removal from international football," he said. "We were the only federation in Uefa, so one out of 55 that has done so formally. But at an institutional level, that hasn't happened yet."
He stressed that, in the absence of such a ban, responsibility for deciding whether to play the fixtures fell to the FAI board, which sought to prioritize protecting the players involved. "As such, the decision rested with the FAI and we wanted particularly now to offer our support and protection to the players because it's a decision that rested with the FAI board," Courell said.
He further explained that Uefa has consistently acknowledged Ireland's strong stance, which he said reflects broader Irish solidarity with the Palestinian cause, but must also weigh the views of its other 54 member nations. "But equally they have to consider the sentiment of 54 other nations. And unfortunately, at this moment in time, it's not universal," he said.
The broader context stems from the war triggered by Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed roughly 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has, according to United Nations estimates, resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinian deaths, while Israel has repeatedly denied allegations of genocide or war crimes, describing its actions as self-defense.
BBC Sport NI has contacted Uefa for comment on the matter.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.