Ireland Players Avoid Handshakes With Israel and Bow Heads During Anthem Before Nations League Match

Ahead of Sunday's UEFA Nations League fixture at Nagyerdei Stadion in Hungary, Republic of Ireland players did not shake hands with their Israeli opponents. The Irish side also lowered their heads while Israel's national anthem played, as the game unfolded against a backdrop of controversy and appeals for Ireland to pull out because of the Israel-Gaza conflict. After the anthems, the teams did not form the customary handshake line, and no pennants were exchanged. During the coin toss, Ireland captain Dara O'Shea did not shake hands with Israel captain Manor Solomon. The match remained in doubt until Saturday, when a campaign by Irish Sport for Palestine urged that it be called off. But the Republic of Ireland squad met at its team hotel and voted to go ahead with the game. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu later left the squad, stating he thought taking part in the match and the return fixture set for October 4 in Serbia would be wrong. The Football Association of Ireland said the players would wear black armbands to acknowledge all lives lost in the Gaza conflict. Former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott put Ireland ahead early and made a heart shape with his hands while celebrating. Adam Idah and Jack Moylan also scored as Ireland built a 3-0 advantage by the middle of the first half. After netting Ireland's third, Moylan lifted and kissed the black armband he wore. Ireland finished with a 3-0 win. Before kickoff, Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson called the run-up one of the hardest weeks of his coaching career. "It's been one of the most challenging weeks for me as a coach and I guess it is the same for most of the players," Hallgrimsson said. "There are a lot of players who have mixed emotions for this game and it is our job to protect all of them." He added that the team had come to Hungary to play football and said he hoped his players could concentrate on their performance despite the situation around the match. Ireland went into the game after a 1-0 loss to Kosovo in their first Nations League match, while Israel had been beaten 3-1 by Austria.