The Republic of Ireland players have apologized for singing a song that referenced the IRA after securing their place at the 2023 World Cup on Tuesday.
Vera Pauw’s side qualified for the tournament for the first time in their history following a 1-0 victory over Scotland at Hampden Park.
But on Wednesday morning, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) released a statement saying it apologized “for any offense caused” by the song.
Pauw added: “We apologize from the bottom of our hearts to anyone who was offended by the content of the post-match celebrations after we had just qualified for the World Cup.
“We will go over this with the players and remind them of their responsibilities in this regard.
“I spoke to the players this morning and we are collectively sorry for any damage caused, there can be no excuse for that.”
speaking to Sky sports newsChloe Mustaki, who was an unused substitute against Scotland, said the entire team was “embarrassed” by the incident.
“We are all very sorry in Dublin. It was a huge misjudgment on our part,” he said.
“There was a lot going on when the final whistle blew, but we had no intention of causing any harm and we absolutely apologize for that.
“We’re pretty embarrassed. There was a lot going on in the locker room at such an important time and a lot of different songs were put on left, right and center, so we’re incredibly embarrassed right now.”
“We meant no harm on our part, so we really apologize for that.”
But Mustaki rejected the idea that educational programs were needed, saying, “I really don’t think so.
“We need to learn in these times to be better and to do better. We all grew up knowing about Irish history so we just need to be better in times like this and we recognize that’s absolutely on our side.”
Ireland secured their place in next year’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand thanks to substitute Amber Barrett’s 72nd-minute goal, which came after Courtney Brosnan had saved Caroline Weir’s penalty in the first half.
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