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Israeli journalists barred from Ireland media call after heated press conference
Two reporters were denied access after questioning Ireland’s manager over alleged abuse and the flydubai incident
Two journalists were barred from a post-match press conference following the Republic of Ireland’s latest Nations League clash with Israel, after a heated media briefing was cut short the previous day.
The latest row came a week after tensions erupted between the two teams when Irish players refused to shake hands with their Israeli opponents and bowed their heads during Israel’s national anthem.
The two Israeli reporters were denied access to the media call following Sunday’s return fixture in Serbia, which ended 1-1.
Their exclusion followed a tense press conference on Saturday in which one journalist questioned Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson about the flydubai incident.
“What do you say about the people that you support? Their ideology is based on murder,” the reporter asked.
Ireland communications officer Kieran Crowley intervened, saying: “We’re not doing any questions like this today, no. We’re doing football questions.”
A second Israeli journalist then alleged that Irish players had used racist language towards Israeli players during the countries’ first Nations League meeting a week earlier.
Crowley rejected the allegation, responding: “That is completely untrue… That’s a lie. You’ve just broadcast a lie,” before ending the press conference.
Serbian police were later called after an Israeli journalist alleged they had been assaulted when an FAI press officer took their microphone. Sky Sports News reported that officers reviewed footage and took no further action.
Tensions remained visible during Sunday’s match. Ireland’s players again bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem, wore black armbands for those killed in Gaza and did not shake hands with Israel’s players.
The Israeli team wore black armbands in memory of those murdered in the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks.
Ireland took the lead through a Troy Parrott penalty before Dor Peretz equalised for Israel shortly after half-time. Players and staff were also involved in a heated confrontation in the tunnel during the break.
Hallgrimsson has since backed calls for UEFA to prevent the two countries from being drawn against each other again.
Asked by RTÉ Sport whether Ireland and Israel should play one another in future, he said: “No, they shouldn’t. That’s not ours to decide – that’s UEFA who decides that.”
He added: “I wouldn’t wish any national team to go through what we’ve gone through in these two weeks, so maybe UEFA just needs to step in and do something.”
The Football Association of Ireland has also asked UEFA to keep the countries apart in future draws.
Hallgrimsson later acknowledged he had made a “mistake” by publicly expressing his personal views on Gaza, saying: “my feelings and my opinions should be set aside when I am spokesman for an organisation.”
Israel captain Manor Solomon had previously criticised the Irish players following their refusal to shake hands in the first fixture, telling Israeli media: “Obviously they hate us. We don’t like them.”
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