Ireland FA: Boycotting Israel Matches Would Have Cost Over 10 Million Euros

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) revealed today, Wednesday, that refusing to play the UEFA Nations League matches against Israel could have cost the organization more than 10 million euros.

FAI CEO David Correll made the remarks before the Irish parliament's sports committee, after the association faced criticism for failing to accurately outline the consequences of refusing to play beforehand.

Correll explained that the association could not know for certain what the punishment would be, since sanctions are not determined directly by UEFA but through a separate disciplinary body. He noted there were three levels of potential consequences: certain, probable, and possible. "Immediately, we faced all the sporting consequences—loss of points, a high chance of relegation to League C of the Nations League, and the possibility of suspension from the tournament," he said.

Correll added that beyond the professional damage, significant financial losses were also expected. "There are also financial implications, in the form of lost ticket and hosting revenues, broadcast rights revenue, and tournament participation fees."

According to him, the immediate damage was estimated at about 5.5 million euros, which could have been compounded by an additional loss of roughly 4.8 million euros in the event of relegation to League C. In total, this represents more than 10 million euros in potential damage to the Irish association.