The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) announced that Uefa has declined its request to keep the Republic of Ireland and Israel apart in future competition draws. This decision follows their grouping in February, leading to scheduled Nations League matches amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
FAI chief executive David Courell acknowledged the strong public sentiment regarding the fixtures, emphasizing the association's previous calls for Uefa to ban Israel from European competitions. Despite the FAI's concerns, Uefa stated that the two nations have not been in direct conflict, which influenced their decision.