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Republic of Ireland player says Nations League match vs Israel should not go ahead

sportsSep 25, 202615414

Bristol City midfielder Jason Knight said the Republic of Ireland's UEFA Nations League match with Israel on Sunday should not go ahead, becoming the first Ireland player to publicly oppose the fixture. The sides are due to meet in Debrecen, Hungary at 19:45 BST, with the return fixture in Backa Topola, Serbia on 4 October; the scheduled home game will have no Irish fans in attendance. Knight made the comments after Ireland's 1-0 defeat by Kosovo in Pristina and said the squad, led by stand-in skipper Dara O'Shea, would meet on Friday to discuss their approach. Knight said, "I don't think the game should be going ahead but it is going ahead," and added the squad would have a deeper talk about what that means and the consequences. Calls in Ireland to withdraw from the fixtures have grown amid the ongoing war in Gaza and a 'Stop The Game' campaign; the article notes Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023 killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, and that the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reports more than 73,000 killed during Israel's offensive. Knight said he would try to focus on football while giving his views when he saw fit, and that senior players and the manager had previously discussed possible steps.

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