--- title: "Ireland players refuse handshake with Israel captain" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ireland-players-refuse-handshake-with-israel-captain" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ireland-players-refuse-handshake-with-israel-captain" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ireland-players-refuse-handshake-with-israel-captain.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ireland-players-refuse-handshake-with-israel-captain" category: "Politics" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-10-04T19:45:44.454Z" source_reported: "2026-10-04T19:12:00.000Z" updated: "2026-10-04T19:45:44.454Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-04T19:30:18.456572+00:00" --- # Ireland players refuse handshake with Israel captain *Players also wore black armbands before the Nations League match moved to Serbia.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to AP, with one outlet providing a full report and others using digests. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Reports include quotes, context, and details about the match and its background. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and digests use terms like 'Eklat' and 'disrespect' but do not overstate the core events. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Ireland players wore black armbands and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem before a Nations League match in Serbia. - Goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher refused to shake hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz, repeating an action from the previous match. - Israeli players wore black armbands to commemorate those killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks. - The match was moved to Serbia for operational reasons after calls for a boycott. Before their Nations League soccer match on Sunday, Ireland players wore black armbands and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem. Israeli players also wore black armbands, in memory of those killed in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher, acting as captain for the match, refused to shake hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz. Kelleher did shake hands with the match officials. The game was played in Bačka Topola, Serbia, a neutral venue chosen for operational reasons following calls for a boycott. ## Disagreement on handshake refusal While WKMG, Medicine Hat News, Newsday, and Winnipeg Free Press report that Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher refused to shake hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz, the digest from voetbalprimeur.be states Kelleher refused the handshake of the Israeli captain. The digest from voetbalprimeur.nl also states Kelleher refused the handshake of the Israeli captain. Welt's digest states that Ireland's captain refused the handshake. Klix's digest states Irish football players refused to shake hands. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre or right-rated reports mention that reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazuno decided to skip both games, stating it was his 'personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong'. The centre-rated reports do not mention the FAI's motion calling on UEFA to ban Israel from competitions, nor that the game would be played with no fans present. The right-rated reports do not mention that the match was moved for operational reasons, nor that Ireland players repeated actions from the previous match. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 67% (4) - Right: 33% (2) 3 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-04T19:30:18.456572+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-04T20:00:11.696Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports led on the actions of the Ireland players. WKMG, Medicine Hat News, Newsday, and Winnipeg Free Press all highlighted that Ireland players wore black armbands and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem. They also reported that goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher refused to shake hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz. These reports noted that Israeli players wore black armbands in memory of those killed in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. The relocation of the match to a neutral venue in Serbia for operational reasons was also mentioned across these reports. ### Right - The right-rated reports focused on the political nature of the event. Welt's digest stated that politics had replaced fair play, calling the incident an 'Eklat with Announcement' and noting that Ireland's captain refused the obligatory handshake and showed disrespect during the anthem. The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer digest reported that Ireland players wore black armbands and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem, and that Israeli players also wore black armbands in memory of those killed in the Hamas-led attacks. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 2 - unknown: 3 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [voetbalprimeur.be](https://voetbalprimeur.be/nieuws/2143034/kelleher-weigert-hand-israel-captain-voor-nations-league-duel.html) — Kelleher Refuses Handshake of Israeli Captain for Ireland - [Medicine Hat News](https://medicinehatnews.com/sports/national-sports/2026/10/04/ireland-soccer-players-again-wear-black-armbands-and-refuse-handshakes-with-israel-team) — Ireland soccer players again wear black armbands and refuse handshakes with Israel team - [Newsday](https://newsday.com/sports/soccer/ireland-israel-protests-armbands-gaza-handshakes-i98015) — Ireland soccer players again wear black armbands and refuse handshakes with Israel team - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/sports/2026/10/04/ireland-soccer-players-again-wear-black-armbands-and-refuse-handshakes-with-israel-team) — Ireland soccer players again wear black armbands and refuse handshakes with Israel team - [Welt](https://welt.de/sport/fussball/article6ac2934285d64113fb06eeb1/nations-league-eklat-mit-ansage-erneut-verweigert-irlands-kapitaen-den-handschlag.html) — Nations League: Eklat with Announcement – Again Ireland's Captain Refuses Handshake - [Klix](https://klix.ba/sport/nogomet/irski-nogometasi-i-u-srbiji-spustili-glave-tokom-himne-izraela-i-odbili-rukovanje/261004173) — Irish Football Players in Serbia Also Lowered Their Heads During the Anthem of Israel and Refused to Shake Hands - [voetbalprimeur.nl](https://voetbalprimeur.nl/nieuws/2143029/kelleher-weigert-israelische-hand-voorafgaand-aan-interland.html) — Images: Kelleher Refuses Handshake of Israeli Captain for Israel - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/sports/soccer/2026/10/04/ireland-soccer-players-again-wear-black-armbands-and-refuse-handshakes-with-israel-team) — Ireland soccer players again wear black armbands and refuse handshakes with Israel team - [Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer](https://messenger-inquirer.com/ap/ap_national_news/ireland-soccer-players-again-wear-black-armbands-and-refuse-handshakes-with-israel-team/article_75cc644b-82db-5724-a8d1-3e61ed1ccbe1.html) — Ireland soccer players again wear black armbands and refuse handshakes with Israel team ## Questions **Why did Ireland players wear black armbands?** Ireland players wore black armbands during the Israeli national anthem before their Nations League match. The Israeli players also wore black armbands to commemorate those killed in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. **Did any Ireland players refuse to shake hands with the Israeli team?** Yes, Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher refused to shake hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz before the match. This action was a repeat of what happened in the previous game between the two teams. **Why was the match played in Serbia?** The match between Ireland and Israel was moved to a neutral venue in Serbia for operational reasons. This decision followed widespread calls for a boycott of the game in protest of Israel's actions in Gaza. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ireland-players-refuse-handshake-with-israel-captain. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Ireland players refuse handshake with Israel captain", https://mediabias.news/politics/ireland-players-refuse-handshake-with-israel-captain