According to The Athletic, the Republic of Ireland national team played four UEFA Nations League matches in 11 days, two of which were against Israel. These two matches sparked intense debate in Ireland about boycotting the games, placing Finn Azaz, a midfielder with both Irish and Israeli family roots, at the centre of the controversy.

On Thursday, Ireland led Austria 2-0 in Dublin before drawing 2-2. There had been calls for protests before the match, but only small numbers of protesters appeared outside the Aviva Stadium. During the game, tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch, and a protester carrying a Palestinian flag invaded the pitch. Overall, supporters remained vocal in backing the Irish team.

Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson acknowledged that discussions over the past two weeks about boycotting the Israel match had created pressure on the team, and that Azaz's situation was particularly sensitive.

Azaz was born in England to an Irish father and Israeli mother. He played the full 90 minutes against Austria but did not feature in Ireland's previous 3-0 victory over Israel.

According to The Athletic, the day before the Israel match, the Irish players held two votes at a hotel in Debrecen to discuss whether to continue playing, amid significant social media pressure to withdraw. Azaz was among the players who supported continuing, a stance backed by most of the squad.

Earlier reports in the Irish media suggested Azaz had considered withdrawing from the squad during the controversy, raising questions about the reception he would receive upon returning to Dublin.

Before the Austria match, Hallgrímsson publicly praised Azaz, saying: "I think Finn has shown remarkable emotional intelligence and composure. In my view, given the way he has handled all of this, he may be one of the people I admire most right now."

Hallgrímsson also noted that Azaz had committed fully to remaining part of the team, emphasising: "Within the squad, he is highly respected by this group of players."

When Azaz's name appeared on the starting lineup for the Austria match, supporters in the stadium cheered him, despite accusations of "betrayal" from some Irish protesters at Lansdowne Road beforehand. However, the Irish player generally received backing from the crowd during the match.

Azaz has a diverse family background. His father, Tim, is from Cork and studied in Dublin. His great-uncle, Brian Murphy, was a renowned figure in Irish Gaelic football and hurling, winning All-Ireland championships at different age levels in both sports.

Azaz's grandfather was Nehemia Azaz, an Israeli sculptor. After his death in 2008, Azaz's grandmother, Yaffa, a former major general in the Israel Defense Forces, became a significant family figure. In a 2025 interview with The Times, Azaz described his grandmother as "a very special and unique woman".

Azaz grew up in England's Midlands before joining West Bromwich Albion's academy, later moving to Aston Villa. He was subsequently loaned to Newport County and Plymouth. After his grandmother's death, Azaz, then in Devon, volunteered at St. Luke's Hospice.

In a 2024 interview with The Athletic, Azaz said he had been fortunate to "fully access a diverse range of cultures" while growing up. He also spoke of his parents' sacrifices in supporting his dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Azaz said: "They had to finish work at 3pm, then work again while I played, and return to work after dropping me home. The sacrifice was enormous. As a kid, you don't realise it, and it's only when you're an adult that you understand how much was given up for a child who wanted to be a footballer—and most kids don't make it professionally anyway."

"They instilled a work ethic in me. I consider myself a hard worker."

Azaz later moved from Plymouth to Middlesbrough, and in 2025 joined Southampton for £12 million. Earlier this year, he scored in Southampton's FA Cup semi-final, though the team ultimately lost to Manchester City.

At Southampton, Azaz's teammates include Ryan Manning, an Ireland international, and Daniel Peretz, an Israeli goalkeeper. This highlights the complexity of modern international football, which extends into club dressing rooms. Paddy McCarthy, an Irish coach at Crystal Palace, also signed Israeli player Anat Kalayili earlier this summer.

On Sunday, Ireland and Israel will face each other for the second time in a week, with the match held behind closed doors in Bačka Topola, Serbia.

At their previous meeting in Debrecen, the Irish players took the knee during the Israeli national anthem, a gesture that sparked subsequent controversy. Israel captain Manor Solomon commented: "They hate us, and we don't like them either."

Speaking about the upcoming second match between the teams, Hallgrímsson said: "It won't be a friendly."

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