Republic of Ireland and Israel players did not shake hands with each other before Sunday's UEFA Nations League match in Hungary.
After taking the field, the Republic of Ireland team stood for their national anthem and bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem. After the anthems, the two teams did not line up for the traditional handshake. There was also no exchange of flags between Republic of Ireland captain Dara O'Shea and Israel captain Manor Solomon, who also did not shake hands.
The match has been controversial since February, when the two teams were drawn to play each other in Group B3. The Republic of Ireland players have faced calls to pull out of the match due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, with the “Stop The Game” campaign – organised by pressure group Irish Sport for Palestine – gaining momentum.
Before the match, the players voted on whether to continue playing the match after lengthy debates at the team hotel in Debrecen on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu confirmed he had withdrawn from the team, saying he felt it "would be a mistake to take part" in Sunday's match and the return leg in Serbia on October 4.
The Irish players wore black armbands, which the chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland, David Courell, said on Saturday was a gesture "in recognition of all the lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict." /LAPSI.al
