Football Association of Ireland calls on UEFA to ban Israel

• FAI has called on UEFA to ban Israel from competitions.
• The resolution concerns violations of UEFA statutes.
• In the event of a ban, UEFA may face opposition from the USA.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has adopted a resolution that calls for the submission of a formal proposal to UEFA demanding to ban Israel from participating in European club and international competitions.

This resolution, initiated by the club Bohemian FC, received 74 votes in favor, while only two abstained. FAI stated that the resolution concerns potential violations by the Israeli Football Association (IFA) of two sections of UEFA statutes. Specifically, it relates to the non-recognition of effective policies against racism and the organization of clubs in occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.

Earlier, in particular in mid-September, UEFA suspended the consideration of the issue regarding the ban on Israel due to the announcement of Donald Trump's peace plan. Along with the announcement, FAI intends to submit a formal proposal to the UEFA executive committee demanding to suspend IFA from participating in competitions.

It is noted that FAI's decision follows the bans imposed by the heads of football associations in Turkey and Norway regarding the prohibition of Israel from international competitions. These bans were announced after the report of experts from the UN, who stated about possible crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza, which Israel denies.

If UEFA decides to ban Israel, it may provoke a conflict with the US government, which is a co-organizer of the 2026 World Cup and will oppose such actions.

Tags: Sport/Football