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A significant majority of Republic of Ireland players voted to play their Nations League fixture against Israel, Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell said on Saturday.
Courell told a press conference that the vote was held after one player asked to withdraw from the squad, leading to a meeting between the FAI and the players.
Player subsequently leaves squad
The vote resulted in a significant majority backing Ireland’s participation in Sunday’s match, Courell said. Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson later confirmed that the player had withdrawn from the squad.
“This morning was just a change of mind for one of the players,” Hallgrimsson said.
Balancing personal views and team interests
Hallgrimsson said the situation had made players and officials uncomfortable as they attempted to balance personal considerations with the interests of the national team.
“Nobody is comfortable at the moment,” he said. “It’s about limiting the disadvantage both personally and also for Irish football, that we need to find some solution.”
“There’s no action we do that everyone will agree to,” he added.
