Tension in Ireland: Hallgrimsson criticises playing Israel

Ireland’s national team set-up has been thrown into controversy ahead of its Nations League double-header against Israel. As L'Équipe reports, head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson admitted he and some players feel uneasy as the squad prepares the two matches, following his squad announcement last week.

In comments quoted by the outlet, Hallgrimsson framed the issue in stark terms: «We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against it». He also said Ireland “play against Israel, not with Israel”, against the backdrop of the war between Israel and Palestine that has been ongoing since the 7 October 2023 attacks.

Protests build before kick-off

His remarks resonated with many in Ireland. On Monday evening, a demonstration took place outside the team hotel calling on the Irish Football Association to boycott the double meeting. L'Équipe notes the debate isn’t new: similar calls for a boycott were raised back in May.

The article adds that more than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter organised by the group “Irish Sport for Palestine” urging the federation not to play those two matches against Israel. The letter states: «Not playing would be the most sporting act you could make».

Israel’s football federation fires back

L'Équipe also highlights that the coach’s position angered the Israeli football federation. Reacting on X, the federation argued that it has contributed to the world in many areas and even referenced Nobel Prize wins, before claiming it has yet to find a remedy for the “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy” shown by Hallgrimsson.

The two fixtures are scheduled for 27 September in Hungary and 4 October in Serbia.