Ireland Soccer Team May Protest Israel by Refusing Handshakes

The Irish national soccer team is considering a political protest against Israel during their upcoming Nations League matches, potentially including refusing to shake hands with Israeli players. Captain Dara O'Shea revealed that the squad will hold a meeting to decide on the protest, acknowledging the difficult and unusual situation.

"We've already talked about meeting on Friday and discussing it as a team," O'Shea stated, emphasizing the need for a collective decision. He added that the team has tried to distance themselves from social media noise surrounding the fixtures.

This potential protest follows controversial remarks by Irish coach Stephen Kenny, who had previously described playing against Israel as playing "against genocide." After facing strong criticism from the Israeli Football Association, Kenny partially retracted his statement, admitting it might not have been wise from a leadership perspective to divert focus from the game.

The Israeli Football Association is reportedly preparing for a possible provocation, considering canceling the official team dinner and filing a complaint with UEFA over the politicization of the matches. The Irish team will play Israel in two matches on September 27 and October 4, held in neutral venues in Hungary and Serbia, after the Irish Football Association confirmed their participation only to avoid UEFA sanctions.