Ireland Faces Protests Over Israel Match Amidst European Qualifiers

Ireland is set to play Austria in a European qualifier on Thursday, but the focus remains on their upcoming match against Israel. A campaign called "Stop The Game" is planning protests around the Aviva Stadium, aiming to cancel all games involving Israel. This follows a previous protest where activists threw tennis balls onto the field during a friendly against Qatar.

Irish media outlets, including RTÉ and The Irish Times, are questioning how the crowd will react to the players following recent controversies. The "Stop The Game" campaign has sent an open letter urging the Irish team not to play their next match against Israel. The atmosphere at the stadium on Thursday could influence the players' decision regarding the second game against Israel, despite Ireland's previous 3-0 victory.

Irish coach Stephen Kenny acknowledged the difficulty in shifting the focus back to football, noting that discussions before the Austria match were dominated by the Israel situation. He stated that the decision to play Israel was not solely the players' but that they handled the situation well and raised awareness. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who refused to play in the first match against Israel, has returned to the squad for the Austria game.

Professionally, Ireland enters the match after their win against Israel, while Austria has secured two victories in their qualifying campaign. However, the upcoming game against Austria is overshadowed by the ongoing controversy surrounding the matches with Israel, indicating the situation is far from resolved.