Hallgrimsson confirms Ireland will face Israel again despite protests and FAI resignation calls

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has confirmed his side will play their Nations League return fixture against Israel in Serbia on Sunday, dismissing calls to withdraw and insisting he must “focus on football” amid intensifying political controversy.

Ireland beat Israel 3-0 last weekend following a squad vote on participation, but the fallout from that decision has continued to grow. Campaign group Stop the Game has called on supporters to gather outside the Aviva Stadium ahead of Thursday’s home fixture against Austria to protest against matches they argue serve to “sportswash genocide”.

“I must focus on football. I’m going to let others think about security and other things,” Hallgrimsson said at his pre-match press conference. “I am not going to allow outside noise to affect me focusing on football. I must give those thoughts to others that care of security.”

Asked whether players had requested another team meeting about the return fixture, the Iceland-born manager was clear: “No, they haven’t. Obviously the FAI has said that we are playing both the games and we are going to fulfil that. That was our intention when we came into this camp and that is still our intention.”

Hallgrimsson acknowledged the strain the situation has placed on his squad. “It’s been tough, especially on the players. It’s been really tough. Like all of this camp we almost take it day by day. But that is already decided that we are going to fulfil the games.”

The controversy has reached the highest levels of Irish politics. On Tuesday, People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger used Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil to call on the board and CEO of the Football Association of Ireland to resign over their handling of the fixtures. Coppinger accused the FAI of sending the team “into a cauldron of racial abuse, monkey chants for one of the players, an IDF chant,” and challenged Taoiseach Micheál Martin directly over the government’s position.

“Do you agree that the FAI handling was shambolic, arrogant, and incompetent, and the CEO and the board should resign for their handling of it,” Coppinger asked Martin, adding that the Taoiseach had “an open goal and kicked it into Row Z by not backing a cancellation of the match.”

Ireland’s Nations League camp has taken place against a backdrop of near-constant national debate, with the team navigating both competitive football and an unusually charged public atmosphere heading into Sunday’s fixture.