Hallgrímsson warns Ireland's second Israel game 'not going to be a friendly' after Solomon's 'hate' remark

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson has warned that his side’s second fixture against Israel during the current international break ‘is not going to be a friendly’, after Israel winger Manor Solomon publicly stated that Ireland ‘hate us’.

The two nations met last week in a match that had been in serious doubt, with widespread calls for Ireland to boycott the game in protest at Israel’s military action in Gaza. A UN-commissioned inquiry has previously found Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 73,000 people have been killed following military action launched in response to the Hamas attack on the Nova Festival on 7 October 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu opted out of the fixture following a team vote, but the rest of the Ireland squad chose to fulfil the fixture, winning 3-0 through goals from Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan.

Ahead of the rematch, West Ham and Israel winger Solomon stoked tensions further, saying: “Obviously they hate us, and we don’t like them.” Hallgrímsson addressed the comment directly at his pre-match press conference, making clear his squad would need to be prepared for a combative encounter.

“This is not going to be a friendly,” the Ireland boss said. “That’s why I’m saying that we need to use every second between now and the game to recover, to collect energy and be ready for the game — not only physically but mentally. It will be tricky and challenging for the players to be ready. The medical team will work day and night to get them fit and fresh for that game. It’s just another football match but there’s more at stake for all of us.”

The second game is being played in Backa Topola in northern Serbia, with the venue serving as Ireland’s designated ‘home’ fixture. Hallgrímsson acknowledged that the vocal ‘Stop The Game’ protests at the first match had made a significant impression on his players.

“I’m not going to lie — I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “The Stop The Game protest is loud. It was just good to see the support from the fans. I just want to repeat the appreciation for the fans showing up and supporting the players. It helped us a lot, giving us more pride to play for the country. We all feel more appreciated now than before this match.”

On the unfamiliar surroundings of Backa Topola, Hallgrímsson was candid: “Absolutely nothing. I just know that we’re staying in the hotel at the stadium, that it’s a one-and-a-half hour drive from the airport, and a really good hotel — they said. I didn’t need to know anything else.”