Hallgrimsson criticises tennis ball protest that disrupted Ireland's win over Qatar

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has criticised pro-Palestinian activists who threw tennis balls onto the Aviva Stadium pitch during Thursday’s 1-0 friendly win over Qatar, saying the disruptions “kill the game” and are unfair on his players.

Activists calling on the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to boycott upcoming Nations League fixtures against Israel disrupted the friendly, displaying banners reading “stop the game” and hurling tennis balls decorated with the Palestinian flag onto the field. The protests were a direct response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which followed the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack.

While Hallgrimsson acknowledged that “everybody has a right to protest”, the Icelandic coach was clear about the impact on the match. “It just kills the game,” he said. “If they want to destroy the game for us, then so be it. Obviously, it’s not fun to see, especially for us who are trying to think about the football side.”

Hallgrimsson has consistently opposed a boycott, arguing it would only disadvantage Ireland and benefit Israel from a sporting standpoint. He also expressed sympathy for his squad, saying the political debate was “unfair for the players” and adding: “We’re not the bad guys here. We just want to perform, we want to play. The players would like to perform for the country and do well.”

The FAI has previously warned that refusing to play the scheduled Nations League matches against Israel would carry “serious consequences” from UEFA. Ireland face Israel away on 27 September before hosting them on 4 October.

The Israel Football Association responded robustly on Friday, telling the Associated Press it was “not really interested in the hypocritical and biased debate that is taking place in Ireland” and confirming it had no intention of withdrawing. “Everyone can stop contacting us with questions about the two matches — we will come,” the statement read. “And of course try our best to win.”

Thursday’s match was Ireland’s first competitive outing since failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while Qatar used the fixture as preparation for their own World Cup campaign. The incident follows a similar episode last October when Norway’s football federation pledged to donate profits from its World Cup qualifier against Israel to aid work in Gaza.