The Republic of Ireland will play Israel in Hungary on Sunday evening after a squad vote returned a "significant majority" in favour of fulfilling the fixture, ending several hours of uncertainty that threw the match into serious doubt.
FAI chief executive David Courell revealed at a rescheduled afternoon press conference in Debrecen that one player — widely understood to be Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu — had told manager Heimir Hallgrimsson on Saturday morning that they did not wish to take part and intended to leave the squad. That development prompted a further four hours of deliberation among the players, coaching staff and association executives before a vote was held and the decision confirmed.
"Within the last maybe 90 minutes, we carried out a vote amongst the squad to establish their sentiment on fulfilling the fixtures," Courell said. "And it was a significant majority that was returned with the intention to continue. Based on that, the association took the decision on behalf of Irish football that this fixture would continue as we have always intended to fulfill the fixtures."
Courell explained that the squad had initially reached a consensus to travel while gathered in Pristina the previous day, but that Saturday morning's news from one player changed the picture entirely. He acknowledged it had been a difficult environment for everyone involved, saying the press conference — which took place at 3.30pm local time — came at a challenging moment for all concerned.
The morning had been marked by disruption. A press conference scheduled for 09:15 BST was called off just 15 minutes before it was due to begin, with reporters first told it would follow training and then informed that the training session itself had also been postponed. Media initially gathered at the Nagyerdei Stadium before moving to the team hotel, where the players were still in discussions.
Alongside the confirmation that the match would proceed, Courell outlined a series of gestures the squad had agreed upon. Players will wear black armbands on Sunday in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict, and there will be elements of the pre-match ceremony — specifically the handshake and the exchange of pennants — in which the Republic of Ireland will not participate. Players have also asked to be relieved of their remaining media obligations for the international window, a request Courell said arose from a Friday meeting at which it became clear they felt uncomfortable fielding questions unrelated to football. A charitable donation is also to be made, comprising players' match fees and revenue from the home fixture against Austria in Dublin.
Hallgrimsson, speaking alongside Courell, confirmed the squad were back in training later on Saturday. He said that no action existed that would satisfy everyone, and that the group had been seeking a solution that would limit the damage for Ireland, the squad and the association's future in football, adding that the consequences of not playing the game remained unknown. He made clear, however, that no one in the group was comfortable with the situation.
The match in Debrecen kicks off at 19:45 BST. A return fixture is scheduled for Backa Topola, Serbia on 4 October.
Pressure on Ireland not to play had been building throughout the week. More than 160 Irish sportspeople signed an open letter from the Irish Sport for Palestine Group urging the FAI to withdraw, and protesters had gathered outside the squad's Dublin hotel. Public broadcaster RTÉ confirmed it would show the matches without studio presentation, punditry or advertising, taking commentary from the international feed instead. Israel are required to play at a neutral venue due to security concerns.
Reporting: Evening Standard, Mirror, ESPN, CBS Sports, RTÉ, The Athletic, The Guardian, BBC Sport, Metro, The Sun, BBC.