Football NewsBBC SportUnverified source· 23 Sept 2026
Ireland squad to discuss Israel games after Kosovo
Dara O'Shea says the Republic of Ireland squad will wait until after Thursday's Kosovo match to talk about Sunday's contentious Israel fixture.
D. O'Shea
player
Who
Dara O'Shea
Team
Republic of Ireland
Next match
Kosovo, Thursday
Discussion
Friday squad meeting
What happened. Dara O'Shea says the Republic of Ireland squad will wait until after Thursday's Kosovo game before discussing how they approach Sunday's contentious fixture against Israel. The players will hold a squad meeting on Friday.
- Ireland face Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday before travelling to Debrecen, Hungary for two Israel games.
- Calls for a boycott have grown, with a protest at the team hotel in Dublin on Monday.
- Over 160 Irish sportspeople signed an open letter urging the FAI to withdraw from the fixtures.
“It's the main thing and it's something that can't be brushed over.”
— Dara O'Shea
O'Shea, captaining in the injured Nathan Collins' absence, says the squad will speak openly and respect each other's views.
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