Why is Republic of Ireland v Israel being played behind closed doors in Serbia?
The Republic of Ireland’s Nations League clash with Israel will be played behind closed doors at a neutral venue as a result of growing unrest over the fixture.
The two teams had been due to meet at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on 4 October, but Uefa approved a request from the FAI in June to host the game overseas.
The game will be held at the TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia, after Israel's ‘home’ match in Group B3 was played in Debrecen, Hungary last week.
"Following consultation with various stakeholders, the Association is of the view that operational challenges could impact on the delivery of the game on home soil, so the fixture will be played away from the Aviva Stadium," the FAI said in a statement.
"The Association thanks An Garda Síochana (Irish police) for their support and advice over recent months and states that the decision to relocate to a neutral venue is one that has been considered an appropriate course of action by the FAI Board with the support of Uefa."
There had been growing calls within Ireland for the side to boycott the game amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The Republic of Ireland’s friendly against Qatar in May was disrupted after protestors threw tennis balls featuring the Palestine flag on to the pitch at the Aviva Stadium, while the Irish Sport For Palestine had launched a “Stop the Game” campaign.
During last week’s game in Debrecen the Ireland players lowered their heads during the Israeli national anthem and sported black armbands to pay their respects to those who have lost their lives in Gaza.
Irish captain Dara O’Shea approached the center of the field for the pre-match talk with his hands firmly clasped behind his back and did not shake the hand of Israel captain Manor Solomon, while Irish national broadcaster RTE opted for reduced coverage and reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazuno boycotted the match entirely, citing his “personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.”
Irish manager Heimir Hallgrimsson made clear his unhappiness over the fixture at his squad announcement, stating: “We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel, we are not playing with Israel.”
Meanwhile the pre-match conference before Ireland’s home game was cut short after heated exchanges with members of the Israeli press.
