The Football Association has taunted the FAI over its decision to ‘give up home comfort’ by moving the upcoming Nations League fixture between the countries outside of Ireland to be played behind closed doors.

The Football Association Ireland (FAI) said it requested the move as ‘operational challenges could impact the delivery of the game’ in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in October, amid growing calls to boycott the fixture over the war in Gaza.

Our Government insisted it had no role in the decision and had not been made aware of any security concerns.

It also said that gardaí had committed to policing the event, if it was held in Ireland.

Neither the FAI nor Uefa would comment yesterday when asked for the rationale for moving the fixture and playing without fans present in the absence of security concerns.

In a statement to Extra.ie, the Israeli FA appeared to taunt the FAI over the decision, saying: ‘The fact that the match will not be played in Dublin does not change our ambition to win. See you have been warned.

‘It really doesn’t matter to us. We’re tired of self-righteous explanations and excuses. The host association has the right to give up home comfort and we’ll go wherever it chooses.’

The decision was also criticised by Opposition parties and the Stop the Game campaign, who continue to call for a boycott.

In a statement, the FAI said Uefa, the European football governing body, approved its request to hold the fixture overseas and that it would be held behind closed doors.

The FAI said it claimed ‘operational challenges could impact the delivery of the game’ in Dublin in a submission to Uefa this week when its request to move the fixture was approved.

The Irish soccer body did not respond to questions from Extra.ie asking it to identify the operational challenges it presented to Uefa.

In its statement, the Views: Sports Minister Patrick O’Donovan

FAI said that it ‘continues to reflect the sentiment’ of a motion proposed and accepted by its members last year, requesting Israel be removed from the tournament.

Uefa rejected this request at the time, but the FAI said it ‘has consulted with Uefa officials for almost two years on this issue’.

Uefa confirmed it is working with the FAI to find a venue, noting that under Nations League rules, its administrative decisions on match safety are ‘final’, leaving the Israeli FA with no say in the matter. In a statement, a spokesman for the European governing body told Extra.ie it is working with the FAI to identify an alternative venue for the game in October.

He refused, however, to provide a rationale behind the decision, adding: ‘We have no further comments to make on the matter at this time.’

The corresponding away fixture involving Ireland and Israel is ‘The only viable option’

also set to be held in a neutral venue. Sports Minister Patrick O’Donovan, who repeated that the decision by the FAI was made independently of the Government, welcomed Uefa’s approval of the association’s request.

‘This is a decision for the FAI. They’re an independent organisation. The only viable option, as they’ve set out in the statement, is a neutral venue, behind closed doors,’ Mr O’Donovan told RTÉ Radio 1 yesterday.

The Fine Gael TD added that no security concerns had been raised by An Garda Síochána in respect of the fixture at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

A spokeswoman for An Garda Síochána said it has a ‘strong track record’ of effectively policing major sporting events and added: ‘Such events all come with unique challenges.

‘As is standard, An Garda Síochána liaise with the FAI in advance of a match to help inform a policing plan.’

The decision came after campaigners and some Opposition politicians called for an overall boycott of the match over the Israeli government’s war on Palestinians in Gaza.

Pressure has been mounting on the FAI and the Government over demands to abandon the fixture, which would have led to the men’s team facing possible relegation in the Nations League.

A spokesman for the FAI stated that the organisation ‘understands and respects’ the views expressed by players, staff, supporters, campaigners and the footballing community in relation to the fixture.

He added that, had the fixture been forfeited, it would have resulted in the Irish men’s soccer team immediately losing six points to the benefit of Israel, or disqualification.

Mr O’Donovan said that had Ireland abandoned the match, ‘ironically the team they would be playing against [Israel] would be the ultimate winners’.

Since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was announced last October, Israeli military operations have killed nearly 1,000 people, including 182 children, 110 women, and 54 people over 60, with 3,100 wounded, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Labour TD and foreign affairs spokesman Duncan Smith said the request to move the match abroad was a ‘cop-out’ and he repeated calls for it to be abandoned entirely.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said it is ‘unthinkable’ that an Irish football team would line out against Israel’s team in the context of the actions of that country’s government in Gaza.

Figures in the Irish Government welcomed the statement from the FAI yesterday, telling Extra.ie that moving the fixture was ‘the best outcome we could’ve hoped for’.