Israeli Football Association Blasts Irish Coach Over ‘Genocide’ Accusation Before Nations League Matches

Tensions between the Israeli Football Association and Republic of Ireland have escalated dramatically ahead of their upcoming UEFA League of Nations matches – often called fixtures – scheduled for September 27 in Hungary and October 4 in Serbia.In the latest salvo, the IFA said recent comments accusing Israel of genocide by Ireland manager Heimer Hallgrimsson exemplify, “stupidity, ignorance, and hypocrisy.”Mr. Hallgrimsson made his comment on Sept.18 saying some Irish players felt uncomfortable about playing Israel, but commended their “team spirit,” for going ahead with the matches.“I’ve said before, we’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide,” he said. “We’re playing against Israel. We’re not playing with Israel.”Those comments didn’t sit well with the IFA, which may file a complaint to the UEFA about the manager’s comments. In addition, the IFA issued a statement directly targeting him. “We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for the stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by the @IrelandFootball team coach. We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity. We’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”Controversy over the matchups began after the Nations League draw in February. There have been calls to cancel the matches due to Israel’s war in Gaza. A number of prominent officials in Ireland have supported the “Stop the Game” campaign.More than 160 high-level athletes from Ireland have signed a letter dated September 21 to the men’s national team urging them not to play the matches. The letter penned by the Irish Sport For Palestine asked the players “to act collectively with conscience . . . Not playing the game would be the most sporting thing to do.”Another Irish group, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, wrote the country’s Department of Justice on Sept. 15, demanding “Ireland boycotts the Nations League fixture against apartheid Israel.”FAI chief executive David Courell confirmed the association asked UEFA to separate the two nations in future draws but were informed the request could not be granted because the two countries have never been in direct conflict.The UEFA has said decisions on whether national teams should be kept apart in competition is made on a case-by-case basis. Security is a primary factor in those decisions.Former Republic star Kevin Kilbane is among those urging the Irish to boycott the game, writing in the Irish Times, “Ireland should not be playing Israel. Not in Dublin, not in Hungary, and definitely not a “home” match in Serbia. Not while Israeli force are committing genocide.”No tickets will be made available to Irish fans for either match, and the broadcast coverage by RTE, the Irish news channel, will be scaled back. There will be no studio presentation and commentary will be taken from the international feed. RTE said it has not accepted or sought advertising and sponsorship deals for either game.

Israeli Football Association Blasts Irish Coach Over ‘Genocide’ Accusation Before Nations League Matches

Israeli Football Association Blasts Irish Coach Over ‘Genocide’ Accusation Before Nations League Matches

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