Ireland and Israel players to skip handshakes before Nations League match
Players from the Republic of Ireland and Israel will not shake hands before Sunday's UEFA Nations League fixture in Hungary, the BBC reported.
Written by EGazette’s AI. The facts are drawn from cited sources; the analysis is the AI’s own.
Players from the Republic of Ireland and Israel will not shake hands with each other before their UEFA Nations League match on Sunday, which is being played in Hungary, according to the BBC.
The fixture has drawn attention because of its political sensitivity, the BBC reported, describing the game as controversial without detailing the specific reasons cited by either federation or players for foregoing the pre-match handshake.
The match is being staged in Hungary rather than in Israel, an arrangement UEFA has used previously for Israeli national team fixtures amid the war in Gaza and broader security and political concerns surrounding matches involving Israel.
Pre-match handshakes are a standard part of football protocol, intended as a gesture of sportsmanship between opposing teams. Their absence in high-profile fixtures has, in other politically sensitive matchups, been read as a signal of protest or discomfort by one or both sides.
The BBC's report did not include further comment from the Football Association of Ireland, the Israel Football Association, or UEFA regarding the decision.
Sources
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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