The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell stated on Friday that their request to UEFA to separate Ireland and Israel in future draws, following their pairing in February's Nations League draw, was rejected. UEFA responded on Saturday, stating that decisions on keeping national teams apart are made on a case-by-case basis, primarily guided by security considerations. The two teams are scheduled to meet on September 27 and October 4. The fixtures have been controversial in Ireland amid the Middle East conflict, with previous calls for a boycott and a vote to suspend the Israel Football Association from European competitions.