21 September – The fallout surrounding Ireland’s upcoming Nations League matches against Israel has spilled over into the commercial side of the matches, with Irish broadcaster RTÉ pulling its broadcasts to a minimum and the FAI removing the sponsor’s branding from its designated home game.
It comes after UEFA rejected a request from the FAI for Ireland and Israel to remain separate in future competition draws.
FAI chief executive David Courell said UEFA told the association that such restrictions were not based on public sentiment and that Ireland and Israel could not separate because they had “never been in direct conflict”. UEFA says these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, with safety risk among the factors considered.
The Israel Football Association asked if the FAI had made a formal request.
The IFA’s head of communications, Shlomi Barzel, told Reuters: “The question should be directed to UEFA: was there an official inquiry or request on this matter, or is it just another unimportant statement?
“Because we stopped worrying about statements far from reality a long time ago, we focus on high-quality professional preparation to achieve our goals on the field.”
The dispute is now having an unusual effect on how matches will be presented on television.
RTÉ is contractually obliged to show both games, but there will be no RTÉ studio, pundit or commentator presentations. Instead, the commentary will come from the international channel, with only a minimal technical team as a form of protest. The station has also received no advertising or sponsorship around any of the events.
The FAI is also reducing its own commercial presence. Sponsor names and logos will be removed from the stadium and interview areas for the titular Ireland home game, with the association looking to replace the LED advertising with ‘Respect’ messages. This change still requires UEFA approval. Courell did not say whether the move was made at the request of business partners.
Neither game will actually be played in Ireland or Israel, with Israel’s “home” game taking place in Debrecen, Hungary on September 27.
Ireland’s second leg on October 4 has been moved from Dublin to the TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, Serbia, where it will be played behind closed doors. The FAI cited “operational challenges” in moving the game, while Irish fans will not receive tickets for any matches.
This leaves the association in an awkward position. The FAI has previously called for Israel to be removed from international competition, but says refusing to honor the matches itself would have a direct financial cost of around €5.5m, in addition to possible sporting sanctions and damage to future qualification in UEFA competitions. Its General Assembly supported proceeding with the games in July.
So the matches will go ahead, but much of what normally surrounds an international match will not. RTÉ broadcasts them because it has to, while the FAI does away with as much of the usual commercial dress as UEFA rules allow.
All but 11 of the Irish crowd have effectively left the game.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
