Irish goalkeeper opts out of game against Israel, Ireland's team postpones training - report

The Irish national team staff tried to solve the disputes with the players before their flight to Hungary, where the match is being played, but reached no agreement.

The Irish second-choice goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu announced that he is not going to play against Israel on Sunday, the Irish Independent reported on Saturday, while Ireland's national soccer team announced it had postponed its final pre-match training before the game.

According to additional reports, at least five players refused to play against Israel, while the squad expressed discomfort over the off-field conflict, mainly centered on criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, which erupted in the last couple of weeks.

Additionally, a press conference that was supposed to be held before the training was suspended until further notice, with initial reports suggesting that it would take place after the training session.

The Irish Independent reported that the Irish staff tried to resolve the conflict in a team meeting before their departure to Hungary, where the match is being played, but reached no agreement.

The Irish Football Association ultimately risks further fines from UEFA if it decides to suspend the last training and the press conference, the report pointed out.

Ireland government supports coach over Gaza comments

The initial conflict between Israel and Ireland's soccer national teams started last weekend, when Ireland's manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said that his team was "not playing with genocide; we're playing against genocide."

The comments prompted an Israeli FA response, which said that Israel was "not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity; we're playing against the coach who embodies them."

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin defended Hallgrimsson when speaking to reporters on Tuesday, describing Israel's remarks as 'unacceptable', adding that 'Israel can't keep denying what the world knows'.

Hallgrimsson said on Wednesday that he was grateful for the country's prime minister's support, adding that "maybe it's not clever for me to take the attention like this," and that it was currently "a tricky time for us."

Irish captain Dara O'Shea was asked on Wednesday if the players have any action planned for the Israel matches. "We will come together on Friday and discuss it as a group," O'Shea said.

"I don't think we would be doing our job properly if we didn't put our focus into the game (against Kosovo). It's something that can't be brushed over. The decision we come to as players will be taken as one," he added.