This week, the Israeli Football Association accused Heimir Hallgrímsson, the head coach of the Ireland national team, of “ignorance, hypocrisy, and foolishness” following his remarks about the upcoming match against Israel.
Last week, Hallgrímsson stated, “We are not playing with genocide, but against genocide. We are playing against Israel, not with Israel.”
While the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) did not respond publicly, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin condemned the Israeli Football Association’s comments as “unacceptable” and called for them to be withdrawn.
Today, addressing the situation, Hallgrímsson expressed gratitude for the support he has received but acknowledged that it was “unwise” to create headlines ahead of the Nations League match against Kosovo.
“Of course, we appreciate all the support given to us,” said the Icelander who has been managing Ireland since 2024. “Drawing and pulling attention, perhaps the main news at the moment, to what I said at our last press conference distracts from what may be the most important thing.
We have an important match against Kosovo. That was not the intention, and from a management perspective, it was unwise of me to attract attention in this way. I need to focus on the game, and the players need to focus on the game. But in response to the question, we are grateful for all the support we are receiving. This is a difficult time for us.”
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