Prefer Jewish News on Google
The Israel Football Association (IFA) plans to file a formal complaint with UEFA against the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) over comments by Irish national team coach Heimir Hallgrimsson accusing Israel of “genocide”, as well as protests by Irish players during Israel’s national anthem.
As reported by The Times on Monday, the IFA plans to protest against comments made to the media by Hallgrimsson before the two countries’ UEFA Nations League fixtures.
“We are not playing with genocide; we are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel; we are not playing with Israel,” Hallgrimsson said ahead of the September fixtures.
The controversy was further fuelled when Irish players bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem, while Ipswich Town’s Dara O’Shea and Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher refused to shake hands with Israel’s captains, Manor Solomon and Dor Peretz, ahead of kick-off in the respective matches.
Hallgrimsson later acknowledged that his use of the word “genocide” had been inappropriate, describing it as “a strong word and the wrong word for me to use”.
Both Nations League matches took place at neutral venues in Hungary and Serbia, with the FAI moving its home fixture from Dublin to Serbia, citing operational challenges.
Ireland won the first match 3-0 in Hungary on 27 September, before Peretz secured a 1-1 draw for Israel in the return fixture on 4 October in Serbia.
UEFA is separately examining allegations of racist chanting by Israeli supporters towards Irish players, which the Israeli football authorities have denied.
Any finding of wrongdoing by UEFA would not change the result of either fixture, but sanctions such as stadium bans and financial penalties could be imposed.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
