Ireland players 'all uncomfortable' as Hallgrimsson leaves second Israel fixture undecided

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has admitted his squad is united only in its discomfort over the upcoming ‘home’ Nations League fixture against Israel, scheduled behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia, with no firm decision yet made on whether the game will go ahead.

The uncertainty follows a fraught week in which a player vote — described by the Football Association of Ireland as producing a “significant” majority — ultimately led Ireland to fulfil their away fixture against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday, which they won 3-0. Despite that result, Hallgrimsson made clear the debate is far from settled.

“We haven’t decided what we will do 100 per cent,” the Ireland boss said after the Hungary match. “When we get home tonight, we’ll give them a day off tomorrow to go home, and share a day with their families and friends and loved ones, and then we’ll come back and prepare for the Austria game. Hopefully we can finish that one and take a discussion.”

Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu was the only squad member to formally make himself unavailable for the Israel fixtures. His public statement on Saturday morning, later confirmed via Instagram, triggered a lengthy team meeting that preceded the vote to proceed with the first tie. As of Saturday, Bazunu was still expected to remain with the squad for Thursday’s Nations League match against Austria at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

FAI president Paul Cooke reaffirmed on Saturday that the organisation intended to play the second Israel fixture in Backa Topola, but acknowledged they were taking things “one game at a time”.

Hallgrimsson was candid about the divisions within his group, while careful not to dismiss any individual perspective. “All I can say is I think we are all uncomfortable, number one,” he said. “Number two, we have different opinions, and we should allow people to have different opinions. It’s not one opinion that’s right and all the others are wrong.”

“We have different players in the squad that come from different backgrounds, so we need to be careful that everybody has a say in our decisions. But it’s tough when there are different decisions.”

Players wore black armbands during the Debrecen fixture as a visible expression of their unease. Hallgrimsson has consistently maintained that his team finds itself in a no-win situation, and praised his players for their resolve in representing their country despite the personal difficulty of the circumstances.

“Just like politics, some parties just can’t work together,” he said. “But it’s been amazing and I hope you will see the tough times the players have been through and come out as winners, because they want to represent their country. That’s their desire.”