{"id":615493,"date":"2026-08-01T17:47:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T17:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/615493\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T17:47:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T17:47:11","slug":"fai-warned-ireland-vs-israel-security-failure-would-reflect-badly-on-the-state-records-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/615493\/","title":{"rendered":"FAI warned Ireland vs Israel security failure would ‘reflect badly on the State’, records show"},"content":{"rendered":"

Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell<\/a> warned that a \u201csecurity failure\u201d at the Ireland vs Israel game<\/a> would \u201creflect badly on the State\u201d, as he insisted that a decision on how the game should proceed \u201cshould not be solely for the FAI to determine\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the decision to relocate the game from Dublin to Serbia, Mr Courell warned the Department of Sport that the Israeli Football Association was failing to secure \u201csuitable\u201d hotel accommodation in Dublin.<\/p>\n

FOI request<\/p>\n

The details of the phone call between Mr Courell and assistant secretary general and head of the sport division at the Department of Culture, Communications, and Sport, Cian \u00d3 Lion\u00e1in, were released to the Irish Examiner following a Freedom of Information request.<\/p>\n

On June 12, the FAI confirmed that the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) had approved a request to host the Nations League fixture between Ireland and Israel on October 4 overseas, rather than in the Aviva Stadium.<\/p>\n

At the end of June, it was confirmed that the game would take place in Serbia.<\/p>\n

However, a note taken by Mr \u00d3 Lion\u00e1in following a phone call with Mr Courell on May 26 shows the FAI chief encouraging the Government to assist in deciding whether or not the game should be played in Dublin.<\/p>\n

The details of the call were sent to Feargal \u00d3 Coigligh, the secretary general in the Department of Culture, Communications, and Sport.<\/p>\n

Mr Courell advised that playing the game at a neutral overseas venue is \u201ctypically not an option unless there are significant security concerns regarding the hosting of the game at home\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said that unless there was a specific security warning from An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na, \u201cplaying the game overseas is not possible\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cFAI notes that the \u2018Stop the Game\u2019 campaign is building, that there are multiple ways in which to disrupt\/protest the game, and that a security failure around October 4 would reflect badly on it and on the State,\u201d Mr \u00d3 Lion\u00e1in said following his conversation with Mr Courell.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs such, it considers that it should not be left solely to the FAI to determine whether to proceed with a Dublin game vs Israel and that there would be input from\/engagement with a number of State stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr \u00d3 Lion\u00e1in noted that the FAI had asked for consideration to be given to a \u201ccross-government examination of whether the October 4 game presents a significant risk, and that an overseas venue should be sought\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mr Courell noted that any decision would have to be taken before June 6, as an application to move the game would have to be made 100 days before it was due to take place.<\/p>\n

Pressure on FAI<\/p>\n

The FAI chief also told Mr \u00d3 Lion\u00e1in that \u201cpressure\u201d on the organisation was \u201cbuilding\u201d and that \u201cindividualised abuse [was] becoming more common\u201d.<\/p>\n

A follow-up email to Mr \u00d3 Coigligh from Mr \u00d3 Lion\u00e1in the following day noted that Mr Courell had been reminded that government ministers had \u201cclearly stated\u201d the \u201cplaying of the game and arrangement as to venue are a matter for the FAI itself, in conjunction with An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na\u201d.<\/p>\n

Despite the decision to move the Republic of Ireland\u2019s game against Israel to Serbia, the Stop the Game campaign is continuing to call for both this game and a second Nations League meeting to be cancelled completely.<\/p>\n