Ireland players skip Israel handshakes and bow during anthem before 3-0 Nations League win

Ahead of Sunday’s UEFA Nations League encounter at Nagyerdei Stadion in Hungary, Republic of Ireland players declined to shake hands with their Israeli opponents. The Irish side also lowered their heads while Israel’s national anthem played, as the match proceeded despite controversy and appeals for Ireland to pull out because of the continuing Israel-Gaza conflict. Once the anthems ended, the teams did not form a line for the customary pre-match handshakes, and no pennants were exchanged. Republic of Ireland captain Dara O’Shea also did not shake hands with Israel captain Manor Solomon at the coin toss before kick-off. The game’s status remained unclear until Saturday after Irish Sport for Palestine led a campaign urging that it be called off. But the Republic of Ireland squad met at its team hotel and voted to play the fixture. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu later left the squad, stating he thought it “would be wrong to participate” in this match and the return fixture set for October 4 in Serbia. The Football Association of Ireland said the players would wear black armbands “in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict.” Former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott put Ireland ahead early and celebrated by forming a heart with his hands. Adam Idah and Jack Moylan also found the net as Ireland built a 3-0 advantage by the middle of the first half. After netting Ireland’s third goal, Moylan lifted and kissed the black armband he was wearing. Ireland ultimately won 3-0. Before kick-off, Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson called the preparation 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 also said the team had come to Hungary to play football and hoped his players could concentrate on their performance despite the situation around the match. Ireland came into the game after a 1-0 loss to Kosovo in its opening Nations League fixture, while Israel had been beaten 3-1 by Austria.