Republic of Ireland confirm Nations League game against Israel will proceed
After hours of uncertainty and a closed-door players' meeting, the Republic of Ireland have confirmed Sunday's Nations League B3 fixture against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, will go ahead following a vote among the squad.
The Republic of Ireland have confirmed that Sunday's Uefa Nations League B3 match against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, will go ahead, despite serious doubts emerging on Saturday morning about whether the fixture would take place.
A pre-match news conference featuring manager Heimir Hallgrimsson and a player, originally scheduled for 09:15 BST, was postponed just 15 minutes before it was due to start. Reporters were told it would instead be held after the team's training session. However, the 10:00 BST training session also did not take place, with the squad remaining at their hotel, where journalists gathered awaiting a statement.
The players were reportedly locked in a meeting during this time. Unconfirmed reports suggested several squad members, including goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, had expressed a wish to withdraw from the match, raising doubts over whether it would go ahead.
Around 13:00 BST, players began leaving the meeting room, and it was subsequently confirmed the news conference would take place after all, rescheduled for 14:30 at the Nagyerdei Stadion, followed by training.
More than five hours after the news conference was originally due to start, Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell, joined by Hallgrimsson and the FAI's Director of Football, confirmed that a players' vote had passed by a significant majority in favour of playing the game.
Further details on the situation are expected to follow.
