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DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland’s home game against Israel in the Nations League will be played behind closed doors in Serbia, the Irish soccer federation confirmed Monday.
The Football Association of Ireland announced earlier this month that the Oct. 4 match would be played at a neutral site and it has now revealed that will be the TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, in northern Serbia.
The venue change has been approved by European soccer’s governing body, UEFA.
The teams will also meet on Sept. 27 in Debrecen, Hungary, for Israel’s “home” game.
There had been calls for Ireland to boycott the matches against Israel. At a recent home friendly against Qatar, Irish activists hurled tennis balls onto the pitch in protest. The balls had “Stop the Game” messages on them, referring to the Nations League matches against Israel.
Ireland's federation has argued that boycotting the games could damage its chances of qualifying for the 2028 European Championship, which Ireland is co-hosting with Britain.
The federation added it had previously called on UEFA to suspend the Israel Football Association from UEFA competitions — in protest of Israel’s military action in Gaza.
Neither Ireland nor Israel qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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The Football Association of Ireland announced earlier this month that the Oct. 4 match would be played at a neutral site and it has now revealed that will be the TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, in northern Serbia.
The venue change has been approved by European soccer’s governing body, UEFA.
The teams will also meet on Sept. 27 in Debrecen, Hungary, for Israel’s “home” game.
There had been calls for Ireland to boycott the matches against Israel. At a recent home friendly against Qatar, Irish activists hurled tennis balls onto the pitch in protest. The balls had “Stop the Game” messages on them, referring to the Nations League matches against Israel.
Ireland's federation has argued that boycotting the games could damage its chances of qualifying for the 2028 European Championship, which Ireland is co-hosting with Britain.
The federation added it had previously called on UEFA to suspend the Israel Football Association from UEFA competitions — in protest of Israel’s military action in Gaza.
Neither Ireland nor Israel qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Continue reading...
