TheJournal.ie says Uefa 'rejected' the FAI's request; RTÉ says Uefa 'inaction' tied its hands
Both reports rest on one man, FAI chief executive David Courell. In one, Uefa says no. In the other, Uefa does nothing. Neither report quotes Uefa.
The same man, two headlines. On 18 September FAI chief executive David Courell spoke about Ireland's Nations League games against Israel. RTÉ News and TheJournal.ie both reported it. They cast Uefa in different roles.
| RTÉ News | TheJournal.ie | |
|---|---|---|
| Uefa's role | "inaction" that "tied FAI's hands" | "rejected a request" to keep Ireland apart from Israel in future draws |
| Courell's words | Uefa's "lack of action" left the FAI in "a really difficult position" | "I wish these decisions were not resting with us" |
| A threat from Uefa? | Not addressed | Courell: "that threat has never been made" |
| Sympathy for Uefa | Not carried | "I have a degree of empathy" |
What Courell says Uefa told him. He told TheJournal.ie that Uefa's "do not draw" list is "based, really, on conflicts, direct conflicts, not public sentiment". Ireland and Israel "have never been in direct conflict", so keeping them apart "would not be possible".
What Uefa would do after a boycott. Courell says Uefa described its process: a disciplinary hearing, then sanctions based on the facts. He says Uefa never threatened Ireland's Euro 2028 hosting.
What is not settled. - Every account of Uefa's answer is Courell's. Neither report quotes Uefa. - If Uefa made no threat, neither report explains what left the FAI "no choice". Courell says the board weighed "the potential consequences" of not playing. He did not name them. - Neither report quotes an Israeli voice. - The RTÉ text we hold is a single sentence. We cannot say what the rest of its report carried.
What this is about. Ireland's national football team has been drawn to play Israel in the Nations League. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has decided to play the games rather than refuse them.
How it got here. On 7 October 2023 Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel. Israel then began a military campaign in Gaza. Ireland's government has been one of the most outspoken in Europe on the war. In May 2024 Ireland recognised the State of Palestine, alongside Spain and Norway. When the draw paired Ireland with Israel, many in Ireland called on the FAI to refuse to play. RTÉ News describes "the strength of feeling among the Irish public".
Ireland's home game was moved out of Dublin. TheJournal.ie reports that it will be played behind closed doors on 4 October at the TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia, 90 minutes from Belgrade.
Who the actors are. - The FAI runs football in Ireland. David Courell is its chief executive; Paul Cooke is its president. - Uefa governs European football and runs the Nations League. It sets the rules for the draw and disciplines associations that do not play their fixtures. Aleksander Ceferin is its president. - Fifa governs football worldwide. Courell names it alongside Uefa as a body that should decide such questions. - Israel's football association is a member of Uefa. Neither report quotes it.
What is at stake. A team that refuses to play a fixture faces a Uefa disciplinary hearing. Ireland is also due to co-host Euro 2028 with the United Kingdom. Courell says Uefa never linked a boycott to the tournament. The other question is the future: whether Ireland can be kept apart from Israel in later draws. Courell says Uefa has said no.
Where it stands. The games go ahead with a changed protocol. "Respect messaging" replaces advertising around the pitch. Sponsors are left off the official backdrops. There are no joint pre-match gatherings. Anthems will still be played and pennants exchanged. Cooke has been in contact with Ceferin. Courell says Uefa's stance on Israel needs "institutional change".
What is being argued about
- Did Uefa refuse the FAI, or fail to act?
- Did Uefa threaten any punishment for a boycott, including over Euro 2028?
- Why Uefa's 'do not draw' list does not cover Ireland and Israel
- How the 4 October game in Serbia will differ from a normal home fixture
One interview, two framings of UefaSide by side
| Outlet | What it said Uefa did | Attributed to Courell? |
|---|---|---|
| "UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands" | In the headline, his name comes only after a dash. The body says he "feels" it. | RTÉ News |
| "Uefa has rejected a request from the association to be kept apart from Israel in future draws" | Yes, but written as settled: Courell "has confirmed" | TheJournal.ie |
In both reports, Uefa's position reaches readers only as Courell relays it.
Sources
R
RTÉ News
UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
FAI boss says Uefa rejected a request to be kept apart from Israel in future draws
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
FAI boss says Uefa rejected a request to be kept apart from Israel in future draws
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Two reports, then two fixturesTimeline
- 2026-09-1811:36 RTÉ News publication time (UTC) RTÉ News Reports Courell saying Uefa's lack of action left the FAI in a difficult position
- 2026-09-1816:17 TheJournal.ie publication time (UTC) TheJournal.ie Reports Courell saying Uefa refused to keep Ireland and Israel apart in future draws
- 2026-09-24— no time published Ireland Nations League game against Kosovo. Players and coaches will not give interviews until the Uefa press conference the day before
- 2026-10-04— no time published Ireland v Israel Ireland's home game, behind closed doors at the TSC Arena, Backa Topola, Serbia
Sources
R
RTÉ News
UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
FAI boss says Uefa rejected a request to be kept apart from Israel in future draws
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
FAI boss says Uefa rejected a request to be kept apart from Israel in future draws
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias
One voice, two framings
Both reports rest on the same person, the FAI chief executive. One casts Uefa's 'inaction' as tying the FAI's hands. The other says Uefa 'rejected' a request, then quotes him at length showing sympathy for Uefa and denying any threat.
2 reports quoting the FAI chief executive
0 reports quoting Uefa directly
0 reports quoting Israel's football association
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources
T
TheJournal.ie
FAI boss says Uefa rejected a request to be kept apart from Israel in future draws
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
R
RTÉ News
UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
FAI boss says Uefa rejected a request to be kept apart from Israel in future draws
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
R
RTÉ News
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Claims and verdicts
No claims registered.
Who wrote it
R
RTÉ Sport
RTÉ News
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Attribution
body attributes the complaint as a feeling×1
Claim conflict
says the Idah allegation is being assessed×1
Headline paraphrase
headline says 'inaction'; in the body the phrase is 'lack of action' and 'difficult position', not tied hands×1
Hedged
'Alleged' is used, and the incident is described as 'involving' Idah, not as aimed at him×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 false1 misleading1 disputed2 unverified1 true
From 107 reports we hold under this byline, at
RTÉ News. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting.
· 1 report we hold carries no byline — we do not invent one.
Coverage, outlet by outlet
T
TheJournal.ie
FAI boss says Uefa rejected a request to be kept apart from Israel in future draws
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
—
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
FAI boss says Uefa rejected a request to be kept apart from Israel in future draws
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— TheJournal.ie has the full account: Uefa's refusal to keep the teams apart in future draws, the 'direct conflicts' reasoning, Courell's denial of any threat, and the changes for the game in Serbia.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. FAI CHIEF EXECUTIVE David Courell has confirmed that Uefa has rejected a request from the association to be kept apart from Israel in future draws. Courell also reiterated that there was no threat from the governing body relating to Ireland’s hosting duties for Euro 2028 had they proceeded with a boycott of the upcoming Nations League fixtures. The FAI CEO also explained a number of protocol changes for the 4 October meeting behind closed doors in Serbia, recognised as Ireland’s home game after it was moved from Dublin, wh
Who is named as acting: Uefa is the actor that 'rejected' an FAI request — “FAI boss says Uefa rejected a request to be kept apart from Israel in future draws”
Whose account of Uefa's reasoning: Uefa's reason appears only as Courell's paraphrase; Uefa is not quoted directly — “because Ireland and Israel have never been in direct conflict”
What the report quotes at length: prints Courell defending Uefa against a reading of threat, which cuts against its own headline — “Please don’t walk away from here saying Uefa have threatened.”
Asserted in the report's own voice: 'devastation in Gaza' sits outside the quotation marks, as the outlet's paraphrase — “learning about the devastation in Gaza”
Assertion vs attribution: 'confirmed' treats Uefa's rejection as settled fact, from one side only — “has confirmed that Uefa has rejected a request from the association”
Reporter voice: 'devastation in Gaza' written in the report's own words, not quoted — “learning about the devastation in Gaza”
Lead choice: high in the story, the 'no threat' denial is repeated in reporter voice — “Courell also reiterated that there was no threat from the governing body”
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
https://www.thejournal.ie/fai-david-courell-israel-2-7166869-Sep2026/
R
RTÉ News
UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— PUBLIC
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— PUBLICRTÉ News frames the story as Uefa's 'inaction' and leads with the feeling of the Irish public. The text we hold is one sentence.
FAI recognises public sentiment on Israel, but hands are tied by UEFA inaction - David Courell Updated / Friday, 18 Sep 2026 14:12 David Courell and Heimir Halgrimsson FAI Chief Executive David Courell has said that he recognises the strength of feeling among the Irish public about the upcoming Nations League games with Israel, but that he feels the lack of action from UEFA leaves the organisation in a "really difficult position". The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to face Israel in Debrecen in Hungary on 27 September for the 'away' tie, before the return 'home' fixture on 4 October in Back
Who is named as acting: Uefa's 'inaction' is the subject that constrains the FAI; attributed to Courell only after a dash — “UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell”
Whose feeling is foregrounded: leads with Irish public sentiment; no Israeli voice — “he recognises the strength of feeling among the Irish public”
Headline paraphrase: headline says 'inaction'; in the body the phrase is 'lack of action' and 'difficult position', not tied hands — “UEFA inaction tied FAI's hands on Israel games - Courell”
Attribution: body attributes the complaint as a feeling — “he feels the lack of action from UEFA leaves the organisation in a "really difficult position"”
Read it at RTÉ News →
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2026/0918/1592066-uefa-inaction-has-tie…
Checked, didn’t cover
T
The Irish Times
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Irish Times
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
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R
RNZ
Centre
estimate · not a score
RNZ
🇳🇿NZ ·
digital · PUBLIC
What we have measured
Headline against body headline claims a 20-year decline reversed; the first line of the body reports a new low in reading ×1Headline against body headline claims a turnaround; the text carries a record low and puts it on boys ×1
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ABC News (Australia)
Centre
estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
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The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
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C
CBC News
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
CBC News
🇨🇦CA ·
public broadcaster · public-service
What we have measured
Asserted vs attributed the measure is attributed to the three governments; the territory is called occupied in the outlet's own voice ×1Attribution kept in the headline the sourcing travels with the claim into the headline ×1Figure rounded in the headline more than 600 in the headline; the body sources it to a flight-tracking site ×1How the sourcing is hedged the claim is hedged to an unnamed newspaper in both headline and body; the reporting is not held by this report ×1
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Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story
and carried nothing on this event.
We could not read these
BBC News
Centre
estimate · not a score
BBC News
🇬🇧UK ·
public broadcaster · public-service
What we have measured
Dating and attribution 'It was not until Tuesday' is a judgement about delay, not a date. No other report we hold comments on how long the German finding took. ×1How hard the claim is stated Headline says the UN voted to adopt and replace; the last sentence of the report says the vote is non-binding ×1How hard the claim is stated The qualification arrives in the last sentence and is immediately overridden by an effect the report gives no source for. ×1Which figure is used States the replacement as done — the Assembly voted to replace the map — where the resolution urges states to use a different projection. ×1
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The Daily Telegraph
Right
estimate · not a score
The Daily Telegraph
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Times
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
The Times
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read
when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and
it is not evidence of anything about this story.