The players of Israel will perform today with a black armband in front of Ireland, the League of Football Nations, in memory of the victims of the attack of October 7, 2023.
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04/10/2026
by
Lusa
“ A UEFA approved the request of the Israeli football federation for the national team to play with a black armband at today’s meeting, in memory of those who were murdered on October 7th,” the Israeli federation said in a statement.
A week after Ireland's players lowered their heads during the Israeli anthem in protest against Israel's military action in the Gaza Strip, the Israelis will today remember the 1,221 killed in the Hamas attack in 2023.
The two selections are now facing in Serbia, in the League of Nations, with Ireland supporting the fight for Palestine's independence for several years, and the meetings between both selections have generated several controversies.
On Saturday, the Irish press conference was interrupted after an Israeli journalist questioned the Irish selector about alleged racist insults to Israel's players.
At the first meeting between the two teams, Ireland, which still admitted a boycott, wore black armbands, with players lowering their heads during the anthem and the Irish captain not greeting the Israeli counterpart.
Israel's military intervention in the Gaza Strip, triggered after the attacks of October 7, 2023, has already caused more than 74,000 deaths.