UEFA has confirmed that decisions on keeping national teams apart in competition draws are made on a case-by-case basis, guided mainly by security considerations, after the Football Association of Ireland revealed that its request to avoid future pairings with Israel had been turned down.
FAI chief executive David Courell said on Friday that the association had asked UEFA whether the Republic of Ireland and Israel could be kept apart in future draws, following their pairing in February's Nations League draw. The two nations are now set to meet twice in the competition, on September 27 and October 4.
UEFA responded on Saturday, saying such requests are always considered individually. "Decisions to avoid certain teams being drawn against each other are made taking into consideration several factors, especially conditions between the two countries leading to structural risks for security," the governing body said in a statement. "UEFA handles every situation very carefully on its own merits and monitors all facts and developments."
Courell told reporters the FAI had been informed that separating the two sides would not be possible because Ireland and Israel had "never been in direct conflict."
Israel Questions Whether a Formal Request Was Made
The Israel Football Association pushed back on Courell's comments, casting doubt on whether an official request had even been submitted. "The question should be directed at UEFA: was there an official inquiry or request regarding this matter, or is this merely another inconsequential statement?" IFA head of communications Shlomi Barzel told Reuters.
Barzel added that the IFA was focused elsewhere. "Since we long ago stopped getting worked up over statements detached from reality, we are focusing on high-quality professional preparations to achieve our goals on the pitch," he said.
The fixtures have become a flashpoint in Ireland amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Last November, FAI members voted overwhelmingly for the board to ask UEFA to suspend the IFA from European competitions, and in May, prominent Irish footballers and celebrities backed a campaign calling for a boycott of Ireland's home Nations League match.
Ireland's designated home fixture on October 4 will be played behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia, rather than in Dublin. Irish supporters will also not receive tickets for Israel's designated home match in Debrecen, Hungary, the weekend before.
