Sinn Fein TD for Louth Joanne Byrne has again called for Ireland’s European Championship qualifiers with Israel in September to be scrapped as details emerged of a new cross-party Oireachtas Group to help improve League of Ireland facilities.
Byrne was removed from her role as Chair of Drogheda United by the club’s US owners last month after calling on the FAI to withdraw from the home and away games against Israel in protest at the ongoing crisis in Palestine.
Part of the new cross-party Oireachtas group led by Labour TD and fellow Louth representative Ged Nash, the Irish Independent reports that Byrne has again outlined her opposition to the Israeli fixtures.
She told the Dail on Wednesday evening: “This, as everybody is aware by now, came at a huge personal cost to me and led to me being removed and my role as chairperson of the club I’ve grown up in and spent my life loving.
“Although this broke my heart and is something I’m still trying to process and rebuild, I will proudly, staunchly reiterate again Sinn Féin’s opposition and my own, to Ireland playing Israel in this fixture. Israel is an apartheid state who have engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide. Any representative of this Government who endorses this game proceeding needs to give yourselves a good shake and be aware that you’re going down on the wrong side of history.”
Fresh from inspiring Ireland to a 3-2 World Cup win in Gdansk on Tuesday evening, Arsenal star Katie McCabe wants to repeat the heroics against the Poles when they arrive at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Scorer of Ireland’s second goal in Poland with a brilliant volley, captain McCabe is set to lead by example when her team look to record the second win of their World Cup group campaign this weekend.
“I just want to win on Saturday, I don’t mind who scores,” McCabe told RTÉ soccer correspondent Tony O’Donoghue. “Everyone’s been unbelievable in the impact they’re making in this team. So we just need to build off this performance again and work towards Saturday and we hope the fans can come out in numbers to support us in the Aviva.”
French team boss Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike won’t play for club or country again this season and will miss the World Cup finals in America this summer.
Ekiteke ruptured his Achilles as Liverpool exited the Champions League on Tuesday night, ironically against French side Paris St-Germain.
Confirming in a statement that his 23-year-old star will miss the World Cup finals in America, Deschamps said: “Hugo suffered a serious injury on Tuesday evening against PSG. The severity of his injury will unfortunately prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and participating in the World Cup.”
The BBC reports that Ekiteke may even miss the start of next season with Liverpool as he awaits full details of his recovery programme.
The Irish Examiner’s John Fallon has reported that Finn Delap, younger brother of Liam, is set to declare for the Republic of Ireland Under 21s as speculation continues around the international future of the Chelsea striker.
In an in-depth column on Heimir Halgrimmson’s ongoing pursuit of Liam Delap for his senior Ireland squad, Fallon reveals that Burton Albion defender Finn is set to join Jim Crawford’s Irish Under 21 squad imminently.
Delap’’s father Rory is a former Irish international while his paternal grandparents John and Maura hail from Donegal and Meath respectively.
For the full John Fallon column a subscription required.
Junior Minister for Sport Charlie McConalogue has confirmed to the Dail that the new FAI panel of academy coaches will feature just one female coach - after only six females applied for the roles.
As reported by the Irish Sun, the Minister told the Dail on Wednesday that the FAI received 300 applications for the Academy Director and Head of Academy Coaching roles but only two per cent of the applicants were female, an issue which will now be reviewed by Sport Ireland.
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