The football questions lasted only a few minutes before the wider conflict surrounding Ireland’s Nations League meeting with Israel again forced its way into the room. Heimir Hallgrimsson’s pre-match press conference in Serbia was cut short on Saturday after exchanges with Israeli journalists over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and allegations concerning the previous match between the teams.
Ireland face Israel on Sunday in Backa Topola, Serbia, their second meeting in a week. The Republic won the first fixture 3-0 in Debrecen, Hungary, last weekend, with Israel unable to stage the game at home because of the security situation.
During Saturday’s media conference, an Israeli journalist asked the Icelandic Ireland manager about an aviation incident in the Middle East earlier in the week. The question accused people supported by Ireland of holding an ideology based on killing and referred to an alleged attempt against 170 Israeli passengers.
An Irish Football Association press officer immediately intervened, saying that questions of that nature would not be addressed and that the briefing would deal only with football.
The situation deteriorated shortly afterwards when another journalist told Hallgrimsson that Irish players had called Israeli players “monkeys” during the earlier fixture. An FAI official repeatedly rejected the allegation as completely untrue. The journalist’s microphone was removed and the press conference ended there.
A tense double header
The two Nations League fixtures have been accompanied by political tension from the outset. Ireland has long been associated with support for the Palestinian cause, while the war in Gaza has heightened scrutiny around the international team’s meetings with Israel.
Before the first game, there had been talk of Irish players refusing to take part in protest at Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The match nevertheless went ahead on September 27 in Debrecen, where Ireland claimed a 3-0 victory.
There were visible signs of the strained atmosphere before that game. Ireland’s players wore armbands and lowered their heads during the Israeli national anthem. The captains did not exchange pennants before kick-off, and there was no traditional handshake between them.
Sunday’s return match will now take place after another difficult media moment, with Hallgrimsson and his squad attempting to keep the focus on the pitch in Backa Topola.
