Fans hurl tennis balls, halting Ireland‑Austria League clash Israel

At the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 1 October 2026, a wave of spectators hurled hundreds of tennis balls onto the pitch, forcing the Nations League game between Ireland and Austria to be paused. The disruption was a direct protest against the Irish national side’s scheduled fixtures against Israel.

Protest tactics at Aviva Stadium

Fans launched the balls at the 20‑minute mark, many wrapped in stickers bearing the Palestinian flag and the hashtag #StopTheGame. A supporter brandishing a Palestine flag sprinted onto the field before security removed him, and a second fan repeated the act roughly fifteen minutes later.

A petition signed by almost 20,000 people called for the Israel games to be cancelled, while hundreds of Irish pubs refused to broadcast the first encounter and pledged to do the same for the upcoming Sunday match. Demonstrations also gathered outside the Irish team hotel in Dublin.

The match was halted after the projectiles landed, and the players did not shake hands. Israel’s captain and the Israeli Football Association issued statements condemning the Irish side after the interruption.

Political backdrop and player decisions

There had been uncertainty over the weekend whether Ireland would fulfil its Israel fixtures during the international break; the first game was played in Hungary on Sunday night, where Ireland beat Israel 3‑0. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from that highly charged match on ethical grounds, becoming the only squad member to make himself unavailable.

Despite his withdrawal, Bazunu remained with the team for the Austria clash and will be replaced by Josh Keeley for the second Israel fixture. Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said, "Gavin is a great lad. I've always had a good relationship with him," adding that the squad faced "lies" about the goalkeeper’s decision.

Captain Dara O'Shea also refused to shake hands with Israel skipper Manor Solomon at the coin toss, and the Irish side wore black armbands in recognition of lives lost in the Gaza conflict, deliberately ignoring the Israeli national anthem.

The second encounter with Israel will be played behind closed doors in Serbia. After the Sunday game, Israel captain and West Ham winger Manor Solomon complained, "They said nonsense during the game, I don't want to talk about them…" highlighting the growing hostility surrounding the fixtures.