Republic of Ireland-Israel Nations League Draw Sparks Controversy at Drogheda United
Republic of Ireland-Israel Nations League Draw Sparks Controversy at Drogheda United
The Republic of Ireland's recent Nations League draw against Israel has triggered significant debate across political and sporting circles in Ireland. The controversy has been most acute at Irish club Drogheda United, where chairperson Joanna Byrne, also a Teachta Dála (TD) for Sinn Féin and the party's spokesperson on sport and culture, claims the club's board asked her to resign following her public demand for Ireland to boycott the matches due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Drogheda's principal sponsor, Sullivan and Lambe, a stone supplier company, announced it would be "actively reviewing" its relationship with the club in response to the episode. Meanwhile, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed it will fulfill the fixtures scheduled for later this year, citing the risk of "potential disqualification" if it refuses.
This decision comes three months after the FAI voted to submit a formal motion to UEFA seeking to ban Israel from continental competitions. The matches are set for September 27 in Hungary (Israel's 'home' game, as Israel has not hosted UEFA matches since October 2023 due to security concerns) and October 4 in Dublin.
In a statement last Wednesday, Byrne declared she would "resist" the board's calls for her resignation. "This unwarranted action was taken after my public statement last week that Ireland should not play Israel in the Nations League while a genocide against the Palestinian people continues," she wrote. Israel has denied that its war in Gaza constitutes genocide. Byrne emphasized that her views are shared by the "majority of Irish football fans" and were not expressed in her capacity as chairperson or on behalf of the club.
Sullivan and Lambe expressed "extreme concern" over the attempts to remove Byrne, stating, "We do not believe that political opinions expressed by a sitting TD, especially one who is spokesperson for her political party on sport, should become the basis for interference in the governance of a community football club."
Drogheda United, owned by the U.S.-based Trivela Group, issued its own statement clarifying that "at this time, no changes have been made to the club’s board" and that their position with Byrne was "unrelated to anyone’s specific political or moral views." The club highlighted concerns over her "open criticism of UEFA and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), regulatory bodies to whom the club is subject, as well as each club official’s responsibility to respect the neutrality provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics and the UEFA Statutes." It added, "To be clear, the substance of Ms Byrne’s views has never been attacked by the club or Trivela Group."
Stephen Bradley, head coach of League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers, criticized Drogheda's board, accusing them of "censoring" Byrne. In an interview with RTÉ, he said, "I can’t believe they’ve tried to silence Joanna and use censorship on an opinion. She has every right to that opinion and we are in very dangerous territory if employers feel they can censor what employees speak about. It’s been really poor from the club’s ownership."
Trivela Group, founded in Alabama by Benjamin Boycott and Kenneth Polk, also holds majority stakes in English club Walsall, Trivela FC in Togo, and Danish side Silkeborg. Drogheda's five-person board includes Trivela representatives Boycott, Marc Koretzky, and Barton Lee, alongside CEO Rian Wogan and chairperson Byrne.
The incident underscores the intersection of politics and sport in Ireland, with the Gaza conflict amplifying tensions around the international fixtures.