Gavin Bazunu Explains Why He Withdrew From Ireland-Israel Games

Gavin Bazunu has explained why he withdrew from the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League fixtures against Israel, saying representing his country “means everything” to him but that playing would go against his personal beliefs.

The 24-year-old Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper published a statement on Saturday evening after a day in Debrecen that barely resembled normal international preparation. Ireland’s press conference was postponed at short notice, training was delayed and the squad remained at their hotel while players discussed whether they were prepared to take part in Sunday’s game.

Bazunu had already been identified in reports as the player who wanted to withdraw. By speaking publicly himself, he has now explained why.

“Representing my country means everything to me.”

Bazunu said he believes the killing of innocent people is wrong and explained that there are occasions in life when a person gets the chance to “stand up for something bigger”. He also stressed that his decision was not directed at Israeli people or the Jewish community.

“There are a few times where you get a chance in life to stand up for something bigger and I strongly believe that this is one of them.”

His withdrawal came at the end of two days of increasingly difficult conversations within the Irish camp. The squad first met on Friday to discuss the Israel fixtures and possible forms of protest, but there was no unanimous position. By Saturday morning, Bazunu had told the group he did not want to participate and other players were considering their own positions.

What followed was a long morning of meetings before FAI chief executive David Courell said a “significant majority” of the squad had voted in favour of fulfilling the fixtures.

It left the players dealing with a decision that had spent most of the year being made above their heads. The FAI board had already committed to playing the games, while its membership backed that position at an Extraordinary General Meeting in July.

The Association had also previously asked UEFA to suspend the Israel Football Association, so Ireland arrived at this window in the unusual position of opposing Israel’s continued participation while preparing to play them twice in eight days.

The FAI has argued throughout that refusing to fulfil the fixtures could carry consequences well beyond two results. Under UEFA competition rules, an association that refuses to play can forfeit the match and face further disciplinary action.

The FAI has warned that Ireland could lose six points across the two games, risk relegation to League C and damage their UEFA and FIFA rankings, with possible knock-on effects for future qualification seeding. It has also warned that sanctions or lost revenue could affect funding and services elsewhere in Irish football, including underage teams and player development.

Bazunu’s decision does not put Ireland in that position. The national team are still fulfilling the fixture, while one player has made himself unavailable. There has been no public suggestion from the FAI that he will face disciplinary action, and any attempt to predict what his decision means for future squads would be speculation.

The discomfort among the players had already become increasingly visible before Saturday. Heimir Hallgrímsson acknowledged during the week that members of the squad felt uncomfortable playing the games, while Jason Knight said after Thursday’s defeat to Kosovo that he did not believe the Israel fixture should be happening.

By Saturday, those concerns were no longer confined to press conferences. Players were seeking advice from family, friends and agents while working through what withdrawing might mean personally and professionally.

Ireland’s response around the game will reflect how far removed this is from a normal international. The players are expected to wear black armbands and have stepped back from some of the usual media and pre-match duties. RTÉ has also stripped its coverage back to the minimum required under its broadcasting agreement, with no studio presentation, no RTÉ commentary team and no advertising or sponsorship around either match.

Sunday’s Israeli home game will be played in Debrecen, while Ireland’s designated home fixture on 4 October has been moved out of Dublin and will take place behind closed doors in Bačka Topola, Serbia. In between, Ireland return to the Aviva Stadium to face Austria on Thursday.

For months, the question was whether the FAI should allow Ireland to play Israel. By Saturday afternoon, that decision had already been made and the more uncomfortable one had landed with the players themselves.

Most will be in green in Debrecen on Sunday night.

Gavin Bazunu has decided he won’t be.