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Ireland midfielder Knight says 'very unusual' Israel match shouldn't be played

Ireland midfielder Knight says 'unusual' Israel match shouldn't be played
Ireland midfielder Knight says 'unusual' Israel match shouldn't be playedČTK / IMAGO / imago sportfotodienst

Midfielder Jason Knight has become the first Ireland player to oppose playing Israel in the Nations League on Sunday.

The match will take place in the Hungarian city of Debrecen despite ongoing calls for Ireland to boycott the fixture.

No tickets for the game will be made available to Irish supporters after the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) declined its allocation.

"I don't think the game should be going ahead, but it is going ahead," Knight told reporters after Thursday's 1-0 loss to Kosovo.

"We'll have a deeper talk about it and what that means.

"I'm quite experienced. None of us have gone through this scenario before, but I'd like to think I'm experienced, thick-skinned and I can get through most things and that is what I will try and do."

Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said last week that some of his players felt uncomfortable about having to take part in the Israel games.

The two nations are due to meet again on 4 October at another neutral venue in Backa Topola, Serbia.

"I'll try and focus on the football as much as I can," added Knight, who plays for Championship club Bristol City.

"It's a bigger spotlight obviously and not focused on the football itself.

"It's very, very unusual and none of us have come into this scenario before so we're learning on the fly as well."

Ireland has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, with sympathy for Palestinians often linked to the country's own history of British rule.

Dublin formally recognised a Palestinian state in 2024 alongside Spain and Norway, and has repeatedly criticised Israel over the Gaza conflict.

Israel strongly rejects allegations that its conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide.

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