September 22: The Israel Football Association has launched a scathing attack on Republic of Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson for his comments ahead of the countries’ upcoming controversial Nations League meetings, accusing him of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy”.
Hallgrimsson was asked last week how he planned to keep his players focused on football amid continued calls in Ireland for games to be boycotted.
“I’ve said before, we’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. We’re playing against Israel, we’re not playing with Israel,” he said.
The Israel FA responded on Monday via its official social media channels and is reportedly considering lodging a complaint with UEFA.
He said: “We have contributed to the world and to humanity in countless fields, winning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way.
“Unfortunately, we have yet to find a cure for the stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by the manager of the @IrelandFootball team. We are not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity. We are playing against the manager who embodies them.”
The FAI declined to respond to the statement on Monday night. Hallgrimsson is expected to face more questions when he speaks ahead of Ireland’s Nations League opener against Kosovo on Thursday.
His use of the word genocide adds another layer to an already difficult international window for the FAI. An independent UN commission of inquiry concluded last year that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding rejected by Israel.
The pressure around the two parties has continued to mount. More than 160 Irish sportsmen signed an open letter calling on the national team to boycott the matches, as protesters gathered outside the Ireland national team hotel on Monday evening.
UEFA last week rejected a request from the FAI for Ireland and Israel to remain separate in future competition draws, saying such restrictions are considered on a case-by-case basis and particularly where there are structural safety risks.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ, meanwhile, will fulfill its contractual obligation to show Israel’s two matches, but has removed the studio presentation and pundits, will use commentary from international channels and has received no advertising or sponsorship surrounding the broadcasts. The FAI has also removed the sponsor brand from much of its activity around the international window.
Ireland face Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, this Sunday before the second leg in Bačka Topola, Serbia, on October 4. This second game, nominally Ireland’s home game, will be played behind closed doors.
Despite calls for a boycott, FAI members voted in July to go ahead with the games. The association estimates that leaving would immediately cost around €5.5m, before further losses from possible relegation and reduced UEFA, ticket and sponsorship income are taken into account.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)