Rizky Amelia
Israeli supporters allegedly aimed racist monkey chants at Republic of Ireland striker Adam Idah and were captured on video leading military-style slogans during Sunday's UEFA Nations League fixture, yet the fans appear to have avoided any disciplinary consequences from European football's governing body.
Ireland secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Israel at Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, a match that had been surrounded by political tension for months before a ball was even kicked. Idah, a 25-year-old forward who was born to a Nigerian father and an Irish mother, was among the goalscorers on the night.
Video footage circulating widely on social media appeared to show Israeli supporters directing monkey chants at Idah. The abuse reportedly occurred during the first half of the politically charged encounter.
According to accounts published in Irish media, UEFA has acknowledged that racist abuse did take place but has stated that the matter cannot be pursued because the correct reporting protocols were not followed by Irish players and officials. The governing body's position has sparked immediate criticism and renewed debate about how racism is handled in international football.
Ireland midfielder Jayson Molumby, who said he heard the chants before the halftime whistle, approached both the referee and the fourth official to draw their attention to what he believed were monkey noises coming from the stands. An FAI spokesperson relayed this account to The Irish Times.
However, a UEFA delegate subsequently informed the Football Association of Ireland that no investigation could be launched. The delegate explained that Molumby had not explicitly used the word "racism" when speaking to match officials, and that the officials themselves had not heard any chanting from their positions on the pitch.
The outcome has raised uncomfortable questions about the effectiveness of UEFA's three-step anti-racism protocol, which is designed to empower players and officials to report discriminatory behaviour during matches. Critics argue that requiring players to use precise legal terminology in the heat of a match creates an unreasonable barrier to justice.
The controversy extends beyond the alleged racist abuse. Youseph Haddad, a member of an Israeli right-wing political party and a candidate in upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections, filmed himself in the stands alongside other supporters as they chanted about the Israeli military. The chants came as Israel's team suffered a heavy defeat on the field.
In the video, Haddad openly acknowledges the football result while pivoting to a nationalist message. He states that while Israel may lose on the football pitch, there is another arena where the country does not lose, referring to its armed forces. He adds that although the Irish team may have beaten Israel on the field, they will never break what he describes as the Israeli spirit.
It remains uncertain whether chanting about a national military would fall under UEFA's disciplinary rules concerning "negative behaviour" by spectators. The sport's regulations do not explicitly address political or military sloganeering, leaving a grey area that governing bodies have historically struggled to navigate.
Under UEFA's disciplinary framework, sanctions for national associations whose fans breach conduct rules can range from financial penalties to partial or full stadium closures, as well as bans on the sale of away tickets. However, such punishments are only handed down after a formal disciplinary investigation has been opened and concluded.
Al Jazeera has contacted UEFA and the FAI seeking comment on the incidents and whether the Israel Football Association will face any disciplinary inquiry. At the time of publication, it remained unclear whether any action would be taken.
The match itself had been a flashpoint for months. In the days leading up to kickoff, it was genuinely uncertain whether the fixture would proceed at all. The FAI and the national team had faced sustained pressure to boycott the games in response to Israel's military campaign in Gaza and Ireland's widely recognised status as a supporter of Palestinian rights.
After hours of discussions and a vote among the squad, the team decided to play. As a visible gesture of solidarity, Ireland's players wore black armbands in recognition of Palestinians killed during the war in Gaza. They also bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem and declined to shake hands with the Israeli players before the match.
Ireland captain Dara O'Shea went further, pledging to donate all of his earnings from the fixture to humanitarian aid for Gaza. The gestures underlined the deeply political atmosphere surrounding a match that UEFA had insisted should be treated as a purely sporting occasion.
Ireland's first-choice goalkeeper, Gavin Bazunu, was the only player to publicly withdraw from the fixture. In a statement posted on social media, he explained that he felt it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming matches against Israel. Bazunu sat out both legs of the tie, including the return fixture scheduled for October 4 in Backa Topola, Serbia.
Ireland and Israel are competing in Group B3 of the ongoing UEFA Nations League. The return match in Serbia will now take place under heightened scrutiny, with questions lingering over whether UEFA will adjust its approach to monitoring discriminatory behaviour and political expression in the stands.
For Idah and his teammates, the victory on the pitch has been overshadowed by the failure to hold anyone accountable for the abuse allegedly directed at him. The case has become the latest example of the persistent gap between stated commitments to combating racism in football and the procedural realities that often prevent action from being taken.
Comments (0)