The Republic of Ireland and Israel were grouped together in February's draw and are set to meet in Nations League fixtures on 27 September and 4 October. The FAI had previously called on Uefa to ban Israel from European competition, but this request was not granted. The association's home game on 4 October will be played behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia, and no tickets will be made available for Irish fans for Israel's 'home' fixture in Debrecen, Hungary.
The decision to proceed with the games has come under increasing pressure amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. A 'Stop The Game' campaign has been launched by Irish Sport for Palestine, calling for a boycott of the fixtures. The FAI had initially considered boycotting the games, but ultimately decided to proceed with the matches after concerns that boycotting would cause "significant and lasting harm" for the association.
Speaking to reporters, Courell explained that Uefa rejected the FAI's request to keep the Republic of Ireland and Israel separate in future competition draws. He stated that Uefa has a formal term for teams that are not to be drawn together, but that the Republic of Ireland and Israel have never been in direct conflict, making it impossible to add them to this list.
The FAI has spoken to Uefa extensively over the last year, but their response has been consistent. Uefa recognises the strength of conviction from the FAI on this topic, but also has to consider the sentiment of 54 other nations. The next step for the FAI is to proceed with the Nations League fixtures as scheduled, with the home game on 4 October being played behind closed doors in Serbia.