The issue of professional footballers refusing to be vaccinated will potentially block seven Republic of Ireland under-21s from being selected in this month’s European Championship qualifier in Montenegro.
With Montenegro on the UK and German red list, which means mandatory quarantine for 10 days on return, Ireland manager Jim Crawford has been forced to name a shadow squad of home-based players ahead of the qualifier in Podgorica on October 12th.
One possible solution is that the Irish players show vaccination certificates on return to the UK and Germany, in order to avoid quarantine, but Crawford revealed that 25 per cent of the first choice squad either refuse to get the jab or they are awaiting a second shot.
“Some players are of an age, that they just get on with it,” said Crawford ahead of next Friday’s qualifier against Luxembourg in Tallaght. “It doesn’t seem to bother them but everybody is different.
“I don’t think I’m in a position to force people to have the jabs either. It’s totally what they want to do. We’ve asked them through our doctor Mortimer O’Connor, he’s had numerous meetings with the players about getting the jab and it’s really up to them. If they decide to get it, it’s their choice.”
“I don’t want to name any names but there are about seven players that would possibly miss out on the second game if the policy is agreed with the UK government to allow players only who have been double jabbed.”
On the topic of conspiracy theories having a greater impact on professional athletes than the general public, Crawford added: “All we can do, all we have control of, is that when they are in our care we can point out what we feel is right, they can agree and disagree with you.
“I know there are conspiracy theories, we have all heard of the conspiracy theories here but it’s our choice to get the jab, certain players now will realise that potentially - and it’s potentially as nothing is signed, sealed and delivered yet - that players could miss out on a game against Montenegro which just so happens to be a red district for the UK.”
The Premier League just agreed a “bespoke quarantine” deal with the UK government that allows fully vaccinated players to return from red list countries and play for their clubs.
