Bazunu withdraws from Ireland squad rather than face Israel

A four hour emergency meeting at the team hotel, and in the end, just one withdrawal. Ireland's squad had everything set to travel to Hungary when the news broke: a player didn't want to face Israel. That player, as it later emerged, is Bolton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, and he decided to explain his stance in his own words.

It started with a message Bazunu sent to head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson on Saturday morning, telling him he wanted to withdraw from the squad because he felt uncomfortable playing the match. That news forced an urgent meeting in Pristina, where the group had already spent a full day discussing the issue. After four additional hours, the squad voted, and a clear majority decided to go ahead with the fixture.

Ireland and Israel will still meet this Sunday at the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, with limited capacity for Israeli fans, in what will serve as Israel's "home" match. After that game, Hallgrimsson's side will host Austria on Thursday in Dublin, then face Israel again, this time behind closed doors, in Backa Topola, Serbia.

Bazunu didn't stay silent. He posted a statement on Instagram laying out plainly why he wouldn't be on the field.

Representing my country means everything to me. I have the utmost respect for every one of my teammates, for the coach, his staff and for the Irish people. However, I've reached a decision that I did not take lightly. I am a man of strong faith, and I try to be a person of character and principle, which is why I feel it would be wrong for me to take part in the upcoming matches against Israel. My decision is based solely on my personal conviction that killing innocent people is wrong. It's important to clarify that my position is not against the Israeli people or the Jewish community, but against the atrocities taking place in the region. There are few moments in life when you have the chance to stand up for something bigger than yourself, and I firmly believe this is one of them.Gavin Bazunu

Football Association of Ireland president David Courell had to push back his press conference by more than five hours in order to explain how the squad arrived at that vote. He said the group had already talked at length in Pristina and that the initial plan was to go through with both matches, until Bazunu's withdrawal changed things.

This morning, a player told the coach he felt uncomfortable going through with this match, and indicated his intention to withdraw from the squad. As you can imagine, this new factor required time and deliberation for the rest of the group to weigh in. What followed was another four hours of conversations, mostly among the players themselves, but also at certain points with the coaching staff and with the board.David Courell

Courell stressed that despite the differences of opinion, there was total respect for everyone's views within the group. He also revealed that on Sunday the team will wear black armbands "in recognition of all the lives lost in the conflict," and that parts of the usual pre-match protocol, such as the handshake between captains and the exchange of pennants, will be set aside. In addition, the players asked to be excused from media duties for the rest of the international break.

Asked whether Bazunu would be the only absence on Sunday, Hallgrimsson chose not to close the door entirely.

Everyone else is training today. Obviously the balance shifted with this, so it's a discussion that remains open. We haven't reached any conclusions yet, but we're moving forward, the match is being played. We're going to train, and there will be more conversations tonight and probably tomorrow.Heimir Hallgrimsson

With the international break still underway, Ireland now faces three matches loaded with tension: a home game against Austria and two against Israel at neutral venues, with a squad that had to sit down, debate, vote and decide, in the middle of a training camp, on something that goes far beyond soccer itself.