A late press conference was held in Hungary on Saturday confirming the Ireland squad had held a vote about whether or not to play the Nations League game against Israel on Sunday.
Irish goalie Gavin Bazunu confirmed he will not be participating in the Nations League fixture against Israel on Sunday night, but his statement has reportedly caused some friction in the Ireland squad.
Bazunu shared his concerns to the head coach on Saturday morning, which caused a knock-on effect and four-hour debate among the players as to whether or not they should play the fixture.
A vote was taken and ultimately, the majority voted to go ahead with the game, but Gavin released his own statement that evening confirming he was still going to sit the match out.
Speaking to Ciara Doherty on The Pat Kenny Show on Sunday morning was Aidan Fitzmaurice, Sports Reporter at Irish Independent, who is in Hungary ahead of the game, and the pair were discussing the part of his statement that the team might have taken issue with.
Ciara read from the statement: "I try my best to be a person of character and principle. There are a few times when you get a chance in life to stand up for something bigger. And I strongly believe that this is one of them."
She added that this section seems to suggest that he believes the 14 players who agreed to play this game are not people of principle and character.
Mr Fitzmaurice agreed, saying: "It would. And that's why I think it's caused a fracture within the squad. And these guys, you know, even their language, they call each other bro.
"They're always supporting each other and if you look at their social media feeds, they congratulate each other. When a child is born or get married, or when they do something well in football, there is a real comradeship between them. And that has been eradicated now."
The reaction online has been mostly positive towards Bazunu, with many supporting his decision, and condemning the rest of the squad.
Mr Fitzmaurice continued: "I think they're [the Ireland players] focussing very much on the reaction online. It's an online world now. All these guys are on social media.
"I think some of them might have woken up to see the hero worship that Gavin Bazunu is getting from the world. I mean, this is a global story here. This isn't just Irish football. It's a global story.
"Gavin Bazunu is making headlines in places that have never heard of the Nations League. And I think the other players will see the criticism that they're getting.
"A lot of them are getting quite a lot of hate online in terms of, you will be an enemy of freedom. You will be remembered for this.
"You're a traitor. You're a scab. You're a backstabber. Particularly now it's been personalised that Gavin Bazunu has emerged as the hero."
Aidan also pointed out how in the wake of the statement both among the players and online, it is possible that some may still change their minds about playing, particularly the ones who voted not to play, but still agreed to after the vote.
Main image: Goalkeeper defending goal. Picture by: Roibu / Alamy Stock Photo
