"would be wrong to participate." That was Gavin Bazunu's view, quoted by BBC Sport after he withdrew from the squad for Sunday's game and the return fixture in Serbia on 4 October. Before Rep. Of Ireland faced Israel, the match had already become something else: a boycott, a reported player vote and a stripped-back pre-match routine that pushed the football into the background.

BBC Sport reported that Ireland's players voted in a lengthy meeting at the team hotel in Debrecen on Saturday to fulfil the fixture. Other reports suggested the vote was 14-8 in favour of playing, but that figure remains just that, a report rather than an official tally.

Ireland also came into the night with 0 points and sitting third in League B Group 3, while Israel were fourth. The sporting stakes were real enough, but they were not the part anyone was leading with.

Bazunu's decision and the reported split

Bazunu's withdrawal set the tone because it was a direct personal decision, not a vague protest around the edges of the game. According to BBC Sport, he felt it "would be wrong to participate" in both fixtures against Israel.

Brian Kerr strongly backed him, telling the Daily Record: "I think it’s a very legitimate decision for him [Bazunu] to take, I think it’s a heroic decision."

The harder part for the Ireland camp was what followed inside the squad. BBC reported that the players voted to go ahead with the fixture after that meeting in Debrecen. Daily Record reports went further, suggesting a 14-8 split in favour of playing.

That distinction matters in how this should be read. The vote itself was widely reported. The exact count was not confirmed by the FAI, so it should stay in the category of reported detail rather than settled fact.

There was also a separate argument around who was involved in the meeting. Kerr told the Daily Record: "He wasn’t, by the way, at the meeting earlier, he wasn’t told about the meeting or involved in the meeting this morning. So he wasn’t involved in the vote."

That account has not been matched by BBC reporting, so the firmer point is simpler: Bazunu withdrew, the rest of the squad were reported to have chosen to fulfil the fixture, and the gap between those positions became the biggest story around Ireland.

Liam Scales also featured in some of the fallout, with questions over whether the Celtic defender had been dropped or simply left out. There is no equivalent BBC confirmation on that point, so the stronger claim cannot be made with confidence.

The matchday signals and RTÉ's response

The pre-match scene made clear that the tension had not eased. BBC reported that the Ireland and Israel players did not shake hands before the game in Hungary. There was also no exchange of pennants between captain Dara O'Shea and Israel skipper Manor Solomon.

Irish players wore black armbands, with FAI chief executive David Courell saying they were worn "in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict".

Those details should not be overstated as some formal sanction or coordinated punishment. They were visible gestures on a politically charged night, and they framed how the fixture was consumed.

RTÉ adjusted its own approach as well. In a statement quoted by the Independent, the broadcaster said: "RTÉ will meet its contractual obligations to broadcast the two Uefa Nations League fixtures between Ireland and Israel. The broadcast arrangement for the two games will be as follows:"

It also said: "These arrangement reflect RTÉ’S decision to fulfil its contractual broadcasting obligations while limiting the additional production and commercial activity associated with the fixtures."

That was a fairly clear attempt to acknowledge the sensitivity around the game without refusing to show it. Broadcaster, players and federation all ended up in roughly the same place: carrying out the fixture, while stripping away parts of the normal matchday presentation.

Ireland have only one goal conceded in the group so far and Israel have already let in three, but this was not a night shaped first by tactics or form. Bazunu's withdrawal, the reported vote in Debrecen and the refusal of normal pre-match rituals made sure of that, and the return fixture is scheduled for 4 October in Serbia.

FAQ

Why did Gavin Bazunu refuse to play against Israel for Republic of Ireland?

Bazunu withdrew from the squad because, as quoted by BBC Sport, he felt it "would be wrong to participate" in Sunday's game and the return fixture in Serbia on 4 October. His decision became the central issue around the match, ahead of the football itself.

Did Republic of Ireland players vote to play against Israel?

BBC Sport reported that the Ireland players voted in a lengthy meeting at the team hotel in Debrecen on Saturday to fulfil the fixture. Reports also suggested the vote was 14-8 in favour of playing, but that tally was not confirmed by the federation.

Why was there no handshake before Republic of Ireland vs Israel?

The players did not shake hands before the Nations League game in Hungary, and there was also no pennant exchange between the captains. Irish players wore black armbands, which David Courell said were "in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict."

Did RTÉ reduce coverage of the Republic of Ireland vs Israel game?

RTÉ said it would meet its contractual obligations to broadcast the two Nations League fixtures between Ireland and Israel. The broadcaster also said it was limiting the additional production and commercial activity associated with the games.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →