McGrath anticipates growing controversy over Israel matches

Republic of Ireland midfielder Jamie McGrath stated that he expects the controversy surrounding the side's upcoming Israel fixtures to "heat up" after the friendly win against Qatar on Thursday, which was disrupted. The match at the Aviva Stadium, which the Republic of Ireland won 1-0 thanks to Nathan Collins' early header, faced interruptions in the first half as home fans threw tennis balls adorned with the Palestine flag onto the pitch. Following the game, RTE reported that protesters had been ejected from the ground, and McGrath anticipated further backlash prior to the Republic of Ireland's games against Israel at a neutral venue on 27 September and 4 October in Dublin as part of the Nations League.

Earlier in the week, Republic of Ireland veteran Seamus Coleman mentioned that the situation "should have been dealt with above us." McGrath remarked, "I obviously listened to Seamus' interview and I think he was spot on. It's obviously a unique scenario. The people [protesters] deserve to be heard; they have the right to demonstrate, as long as it's done peacefully, that’s what matters.

"I’m sure it’s going to heat up over the next few months. Like I said, we don’t want to be put in this position. Hopefully, those in charge can work out a solution or utilize the situation for the greater good. I’m not sure what will happen as it escalates.

"At the end of the day, we’re footballers and we don’t want to be involved in this, but sometimes we might have to be.”

Pressure has been building in Ireland for a boycott of the upcoming games due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a protest at the Dáil, the Irish parliament, on Tuesday. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirmed that the matches would proceed, with chief executive David Courell stating that the governing body had "no choice" and could face "serious consequences" if it opted out. Earlier in the week, Collins noted that if players felt strongly enough to boycott the matches, "we are not going to stand against them," while manager Heimir Hallgrimsson expressed that if protesters "want to destroy the game for us, so be it" after the Qatar game.

When asked about the squad's confidence regarding a resolution, McGrath added: "To be honest, I've no idea. We obviously touched on it a few days ago; I’m sure as it escalates it might be taken out of our hands, I’m not sure."