Hallgrímsson urges Uefa to separate Ireland and Israel after two weeks of controversy

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson has called on Uefa to keep his side and Israel apart in future competition draws, following two deeply contentious Nations League fixtures that concluded with a 1-1 draw in Backa Topola, Serbia, on Sunday.

The result came a week after Ireland’s 3-0 victory in Israel’s assigned home match in Debrecen, Hungary — both sides forced to play their ‘home’ fixtures on neutral ground due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Israel had already been hosting its home games in Hungary as a consequence of the war, while the Football Association of Ireland relocated its own fixture to Serbia in June, citing “operational reasons” and barring supporters from attending.

“I wouldn’t wish any national team to go through what we have gone through these two weeks, so maybe Uefa just needs to step in and do something,” Hallgrímsson told Irish national broadcaster RTÉ after Sunday’s match. He acknowledged the particular weight of the tie for Irish supporters, adding: “There is obviously a big support for Palestine in Ireland. There are not many countries that support Palestine as much as Ireland does.”

The build-up to both fixtures was heavily charged. Calls for a boycott emerged almost immediately after the Nations League draw paired the two nations together in February, and pressure on the Irish squad to refuse to play intensified as the matches approached. The FAI, which had submitted a motion in November requesting Uefa to ban Israel from club and international competitions, ultimately resisted the boycott demands, warning that Ireland could face severe sanctions — a consideration sharpened by the country’s role as a co-host of Euro 2028 alongside England, Wales and Scotland.

On the pitch, Irish players wore black armbands and lowered their heads during the Israeli national anthem before both matches. In Sunday’s game, Israeli players also wore black armbands in remembrance of the victims of the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Tempers flared during the second fixture, with the most serious incident occurring just before half-time. Ireland fitness coach Damien Doyle reported being spat at by an Israeli player — an allegation that added to the already strained atmosphere between the two camps.

“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” — his remarks trailing off without elaboration, but leaving little doubt about the difficulty of the fortnight his squad had endured.