Dara O’Shea, captain of the Republic of Ireland national team, has confirmed that the squad will wait until after their match against Kosovo on Thursday before discussing how to approach the controversial fixture against Israel on Sunday. Ireland are set to face Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday, before traveling to Debrecen, Hungary, for the first of two matches against Israel during this international window.
Calls for a boycott of the upcoming matches have intensified in Ireland, with a protest taking place outside the national team’s hotel in Dublin on Monday.
O’Shea emphasized the importance for the team to “speak openly” and “respect each other’s views” when they convene to discuss the Israel game on Friday.
“We have to respect everyone’s opinions and perspectives, and it’s crucial that we sit down and dedicate time to this because it deserves to be addressed. That’s the main thing, and it cannot be ignored. Whatever decision we as players make will be unanimous, and every opinion will be respected,” O’Shea said.
When asked if the team would consider a boycott of the Sunday match against Israel during Friday’s discussion, O’Shea responded: “That decision has already been made by the Football Association of Ireland, UEFA, and the government. For us as players, it is not a decision to make.
We are Irish players, and when called upon, we come to represent our country, and that is important to understand. Obviously, when we gather, we will talk openly about how we feel and what we believe is right. And yes, that will happen on Friday when we are given the time to do so.”
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