Israel Football Association criticizes Ireland coach — Jerusalem Post
The Israel Football Association sharply responded to statements by Ireland national team head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson regarding matches against the Israeli team in the UEFA Nations League. The association accused the coach of stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Association's response
In a post on social media platform X, the Israel Football Association said that the country has made numerous contributions to the world and humanity and has won a significant number of Nobel Prizes. At the same time, it noted that no cure has yet been found for the stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy that the association attributed to the Ireland national team coach.
The association also said that it is not playing against these phenomena, but against the coach who, in its view, embodies them.
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Call for a boycott
Last week, Hallgrímsson said that he had spoken separately with the players about the matches against Israel. According to him, no one on the team feels comfortable participating in these games.
His comments came after more than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter. They called on the Ireland national team to boycott the UEFA Nations League matches against Israel, which are currently scheduled for September 27.
The signatories of the letter include Olympic athlete Ciara Mageean, former footballer Louise Quinn, former rugby player Tony Ward, as well as boxers Tyrone McKenna and Eric Donovan. The authors of the appeal said that refusing to play would be the most sporting decision and could demonstrate the unifying power of sport. In May, Irish footballers and celebrities had already joined a campaign calling for a boycott of matches against Israel.
