Sinn Féin have slammed the Football Association of Ireland’s (FAI) decision to fulfil their Nations League fixtures against Israel despite the organisation previously calling for the Middle Eastern nation to be banned from UEFA-sanctioned competitions.
On Thursday (12 February), the draw for the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League saw the Republic of Ireland grouped with Israel, Austria and Kosovo.
Israeli clubs’ and the national team’s participation in UEFA- and FIFA-sanctioned competitions has come under criticism since the Israel-Gaza conflict, with the FAI membership voting 74 to seven to mandate the Association to request Israel’s suspension from European club and international competitions back in November 2025.
The motion called for the suspension for “violating two independent provisions of the UEFA statutes”.
Advert
The mentioned “violations” were the "organisation of clubs in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association" and a "failure to implement and enforce an effective anti-racism policy".
However, after yesterday’s draw, the FAI released a statement and appeared to perform a U-turn on its previous stance by confirming that the Republic of Ireland national team would, in fact, fulfil their matches against Israel.
The statement read: “In 2025, a motion was proposed by members of the FAI General Assembly to vote on issuing a formal request to the UEFA Executive Committee for the immediate suspension of the Israel Football Association from UEFA competitions for a breach of UEFA statutes.
"Members then voted in favour to submitting the motion to UEFA, which the Association did in November 2025.
"While consultation has taken place with Uefa officials, the Association does recognise that Uefa regulations outline that if an association refuses to play a match, then that fixture will be forfeited and further disciplinary measures may follow – including potential disqualification from the competition."
The decision has been met with anger from some parties, including Drogheda United co-chairperson and Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) for the Louth constituency, Joanna Byrne.
Byrne said that she was “extremely angry” and “dismayed” at the FAI’s decision before accusing the Association of having morals “only on paper” and “not in actions” where it counts.
In a statement posted to Sinn Féin’s website, she said: “It appears that their morals, and principled position, was only on paper – not in actions where it counts.
“Israel should not be in this competition.
“UEFA should have expelled them as soon as Israel went into Gaza on a genocidal, ethnic cleansing mission that has seen tens of thousands of innocents murdered, including hundreds of sports men and women.
“There are double standards here from UEFA. Russia was expelled from all club and international competitions by UEFA in 2022 following their brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine. The same principle should be applied to Israel.
“I hope the FAI knows the furore that will be coming for them from the Irish football fans – the vast vast majority will not want to see our Boys In Green in the same stadium as the Israeli team.
“I have said it before when I was asked about Israel’s participation in Eurovision and in other sporting fixtures and I will repeat it again now: Israel is an apartheid state who have engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide. Their behaviour cannot be accepted or normalised.
"They should be treated the same as Apartheid South Africa was, and be banned and boycotted by all.”
The 2026/27 Nations League will commence on September 24.
Topics: Football, Republic of Ireland, UEFA, UEFA Nations League
Luke Davies