An international friendly between the Republic of Ireland and Qatar in Dublin was twice disrupted as home fans protested the Irish team’s upcoming matches against Israel.
Ireland are scheduled to face Israel twice in the UEFA Nations League, but the games have sparked strong opposition, with calls for a boycott.
Tennis balls bearing Palestinian flags were thrown onto the pitch after the 10th and 20th minutes of Thursday’s match at the Aviva Stadium in the Irish capital, forcing the game to pause.
Qatar entered the friendly as part of their preparations for the FIFA World Cup this summer, a tournament Ireland failed to qualify for.
On Wednesday, Ireland’s parliament (Dáil) saw fresh protests related to the Israel fixtures. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) also passed a motion in November calling on UEFA to immediately suspend Israel from international competitions, but received no backing from the European football governing body.
At a pre-match press conference against Qatar, Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson challenged his players to “win this war” when asked about the Nations League encounters with Israel. He has previously called for Israel to be banned from international football, stating: “It’s a hurdle I don’t like, it’s unfair on the players to be in this situation and us as well. From a football perspective, I don’t want us to be the bad guys. We are not the bad ones here.”
The first match between the two sides will be played on neutral ground on September 27, while the return leg is scheduled for Dublin on October 4. The Nations League is a standalone competition that progresses from group stages to knockout rounds and a final, but also serves as part of qualifying opportunities for UEFA and FIFA tournaments.
The FAI confirmed both matches against Israel will go ahead as planned. Speaking before the friendly against Qatar, Ireland captain Nathan Collins said: “If individuals want to make a protest, we won’t be against it, we won’t stop them.” The friendly ended 1-0 in Ireland’s favor, thanks to a header from Collins.
