Ireland boss’s genocide remark triggers Israel FA backlash before Nations League ties | OneFootball

Heimir Hallgrimsson, Ireland’s head coach, expressed discomfort ahead of a Nations League double-header against Israel, drawing a sharp response from Israel’s football federation.

L'Équipe reports that he raised the issue while naming his squad last week, with Ireland set to face Israel in Hungary on 27 September and in Serbia on 4 October. He framed the stance as opposing genocide and taking on Israel rather than standing with them.

His comments appeared to resonate with some in Ireland. On Monday evening a demonstration gathered outside the team hotel urging the Football Association of Ireland to boycott the two fixtures.

Israel’s federation condemned Hallgrimsson’s words in a post on X, highlighting the country’s contributions to humanity and references to numerous Nobel prizes. It added that there was still no cure for what it called stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy.

The federation said it would not align with those traits and stated that it was instead up against the coach who, in its view, embodied them.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”