Ireland vs Israel remains a flashpoint after two contentious Nations League meetings, and Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson says UEFA should keep the teams apart in future competitions.
The sides drew 1-1 on Sunday in Ireland’s designated “home” match played behind closed doors in Bačka Topola, Serbia. That result followed Ireland’s 3-0 victory a week earlier in Israel’s “home” fixture staged in Debrecen, Hungary.
Build-up to both games was tense, with Ireland players facing pressure not to play because of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Before the first match, Irish players wore black armbands and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem, a gesture they repeated in the second game. For that second match, Israel’s players wore black armbands to commemorate victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
Speaking to Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ, Hallgrímsson said UEFA should intervene to avoid repeat pairings. “There is obviously a big support for Palestine in Ireland. There are not many countries that support Palestine as much as Ireland does,” he said, adding that he would not wish any national team to endure the past two weeks and that UEFA “needs to step in and do something.”
Calls in Ireland to boycott the fixtures began as soon as the Nations League draw matched the teams in February. A potential visit by Israel to Dublin was expected to prompt major protests and a significant security operation for local police.
The Football Association of Ireland had previously filed a motion in November calling on UEFA to ban Israel from club and international competitions, but it resisted boycott demands, warning of severe sanctions from UEFA. Ireland is co-hosting the 2028 European Championship with England, Wales and Scotland. In June, the FAI moved Ireland’s home game to Serbia for operational reasons and said no fans would be allowed to attend. Israel has already been staging its home matches in Hungary because of the war.
Relations did not improve on the field. Tempers flared on Sunday, including a confrontation before halftime when Ireland fitness coach Damien Doyle said he was spat at by an Israeli player. “There’s been a lot of those incidents that could have escalated,” Hallgrímsson said. “We were clever enough to stop it before it went too far. I felt it was kind of the intention to try to intimidate us and make us do something stupid.”
Tensions also rose off the pitch. At a pre-match news conference, an Israeli journalist claimed Irish players had called Israeli players “monkeys” during the previous match, prompting an immediate denial from Irish communications officer Kieran Crowley, who said it was “a lie” and ended the briefing. Ireland forward Adam Idah, who is Black, was allegedly racially abused by a small number of Israeli fans during the first game.
Ireland vs Israel tensions prompt UEFA call
With protests, venue changes, and on-field incidents overshadowing the Nations League fixtures, Hallgrímsson’s appeal puts the onus on UEFA to consider future scheduling that avoids further flashpoints between the teams.
The Nations League campaigns for both sides will continue amid broader debates over sport and politics, similar to how global stars navigate high-stakes international tournaments such as the 2026 World Cup. UEFA has not publicly indicated whether it will review its competition draw procedures in light of these tensions.
