Israel FA brands Ireland boss Hallgrimsson 'stupid' — SkimNews
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- Israel FA accused Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson of 'ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity' after he told media 'We're not playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide' during his squad announcement for the Nations League ties on 27 September and 4 October.
- Israel FA hit back on social media, noting Israel has 'contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way' but said it had not found a cure for Hallgrimsson's 'stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy.'
- The Football Association of Ireland has not responded to Israel FA's comments, while a protest took place at the Republic of Ireland team's hotel on Monday evening as boycott pressure intensifies.
- Over 160 Irish sportspeople, including Olympian Ciara Mageean, former Republic of Ireland footballer Louise Quinn, ex-rugby fly-half Tony Ward, boxers Tyrone McKenna and Eric Donovan, and GAA figures Padraig O'Hora, Joe Brolly, Colm O'Rourke, Philly McMahon and Rena Buckley, signed an open letter from the Irish Sport for Palestine Group urging a boycott.
- The FAI's General Assembly voted 75-32 (with 3 abstentions) in July to proceed with the fixtures, after the FAI warned that boycotting would cause 'significant and lasting harm' to Irish football and risk losing €10.3m (£9m).
- UEFA rejected a request to keep Republic of Ireland and Israel separate in the draw, according to the FAI.
- Hallgrimsson said he spoke to players individually about facing Israel and 'none of us feel comfortable playing in these games'; the 27 September fixture will be held in Hungary and the 4 October reverse in Serbia.
Why it matters: The Ireland-Israel tie has become a frontline for the Gaza conflict in European football, with 160+ Irish sportspeople publicly backing a boycott while the FAI cites a €10.3m financial penalty as the reason it cannot pull out. UEFA's refusal to separate the teams in the draw means every remaining Ireland-Israel fixture will arrive with the same protest pressure attached.
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