Israel Football Association Strongly Denounces Ireland Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson Over 'Genocide' Remarks
The row follows Hallgrímsson’s claim that many Ireland players are uncomfortable facing Israel and an open letter signed by more than 160 athletes.
- On Monday, September 21, 2026, ISRAELFA hit back at Ireland manager Hallgrimsson's comments, describing his remarks as 'stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy' in a post on their official X account.
- Hallgrimsson previously stated, 'We're not playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide,' regarding matches against Israel, while acknowledging some players feel 'uncomfortable' participating in the contentious games.
- Meanwhile, 170 athletes signed an open letter from the Palestine Group urging the squad to 'act collectively with conscience' and boycott upcoming fixtures against Israel.
- The FAI moved the October 4th home match against Israel to Backa Topola, Serbia, citing 'operational challenges,' while the Israel FA reportedly approached Uefa regarding a potential complaint.
- Controversy has surrounded these fixtures since the Nations League draw in February, with Hallgrimsson previously questioning why Israel remains unsanctioned by Fifa and Uefa, unlike Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
49 Articles
49 Articles
Israel makes scathing social media post against Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson
The Israel FA have lashed out at Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson ahead of the ill-fated UEFA Nations League clash between the two sides. Ireland get their UEFA Nations League campaign underway this Thursday, as they face Kosovo away in Pristina, before travelling north to Hungary to face Israel ‘away’ in Debrecen on Sunday. […]
We are not playing with the genocide, we are playing against the genocide. We have unleashed the fury of Israel these words uttered by Heimir Hallgrimsson, ct of Ireland, to present the two challenges of Uefa Nations League scheduled in the coming days against Israel. In Dublin the pressure for the boycott of the match is strong, starting from [...] The article Tension before Israel-Ireland, the ct Hallgrimsson: "We play against the genocide" Te…
More than 160 Irish athletes sign a letter against contesting the League of Nations qualifying party while the Israeli federation complains about the coach's "stupidity"
The upcoming matches between Ireland and Israel are under high tension. Both countries will soon play each other twice in the Nations League, but are on a collision course following statements exchanged between them. Meanwhile, 160 Irish athletes are calling for a boycott of the matches.
The Israeli Football Association reacted sharply to the statements made by the coach of the Irish national football team Heimir Hallgrimsson, which he made at a press conference ahead of Sunday's mutual match in the Nations League. In response to Hallgrimsson's statements, the Israelis wrote that “the cure for the stupidity of mankind has not yet been invented,” the British BBC reports.
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