Irish football team will play Israel in Serbia in October
The Football Association of Ireland announced the game would be played at a ‘neutral venue’ and behind closed doors.
The Republic of Ireland’s Nations League fixture with Israel on October 4 will be held in Serbia, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed.
In a statement on Monday, the organisation confirmed the match will be played behind closed doors in the town of Backa Topola, in the north of the country.
The decision came amid the prospect of major protests around the fixture because of Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Middle East.
The FAI said the decision to move the game was taken by their board: “Due to operational challenges that could impact the delivery of the game on home soil.”
The first fixture, the away game, on September 27, is scheduled to take place at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary.
Campaigners and some opposition politicians had called for an overall boycott of both fixtures.
The organisation said it will update its 2026 FAI Season Ticket holders and Club Ireland members regarding compensation owed as a result of the changes.
The kick-off time for the match has not yet been confirmed.
The team is also scheduled to play Kosovo and Austria as part of the tournament, with their campaign opening in the Kosovan capital of Pristina on September 24.
Earlier this month, the FAI confirmed Uefa had approved its request to hold the home fixture overseas.
In a statement on June 12, the organisation said: “The Association understands and respects the views expressed by players and staff, supporters, its members, campaigners, members of the public and the Irish footballing community in relation to this fixture.”
It said the Palestinian Football Association had expressed its “appreciation for the principled positions taken by the Football Association of Ireland in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes”.
The FAI added it is “deeply conscious of the suffering and devastation being endured by civilians in Gaza”.
In November, the FAI approved a motion calling for Israel to be banned from Uefa over the military assault on Gaza, but this was rejected.
The Irish association faced disciplinary measures, including potential disqualification from the competition, if it refused to take part in the match.
In its earlier statement, the FAI said these measures could impact Ireland’s Uefa and Fifa rankings, which could affect future qualification for European Championships and World Cups.
It pointed out the “converse” would apply for Israel, increasing its prospects of promotion.