Republic of Ireland midfielder Jamie McGrath said Thursday he expects the controversy surrounding his team's upcoming fixtures against Israel to get worse before it gets better, according to BBC Sport NI.
The warning came after Ireland's friendly match against Qatar at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin was interrupted twice in the first half when home fans threw tennis balls featuring the Palestinian flag onto the pitch. Ireland won the match 1-0 on a goal from Nathan Collins. RTE reported that protesters were ejected from the ground.
The two Nations League matches against Israel are scheduled for September 27 and October 4, with the second fixture set for Dublin. The Football Association of Ireland confirmed the games will go ahead. FAI chief executive David Courell said the governing body had no choice and could face serious consequences if it pulled out.
McGrath pointed to comments made earlier in the week by veteran defender Seamus Coleman, who said the situation should have been handled by governing bodies rather than the players. "I obviously listened to Seamus' interview and I think he was spot on," McGrath told BBC Sport NI.
"It's obviously a unique scenario. The people [protesters], we have to listen to them, they have the right to do what they do, as long as it's done in a peaceful way, that's all that matters," McGrath said. "I'm sure it's going to heat up over the next few months. Like I said, we don't want to be put into a position. Hopefully the powers above us can work something out or use it for the greater good, I'm not sure what the process will be as it heats up."
Pressure has grown in Ireland for a boycott of the matches because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a protest at the Dail, the Irish parliament, on Tuesday.
Earlier in the week, Ireland defender Nathan Collins said that if individual players felt strongly enough to boycott the games, the team would not stand against them. Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said after the Qatar match that if protesters want to destroy the game, so be it.
McGrath said he was uncertain whether the squad had found a path forward. "To be honest, I've no idea," he said. "We obviously touched on it a few days, I'm sure as it heats up it might be taken out of our hands, I'm not sure."
