Ireland boss confirms second match against Israel will go ahead as he vows to ‘focus on football’
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has confirmed his team will play their upcoming Nations League match against Israel on Sunday, maintaining that he must "focus on football" despite ongoing demonstrations.
Campaign group Stop the Game has urged supporters to gather outside the Aviva Stadium prior to Thursday's fixture against Austria, protesting against matches they argue serve to "sportswash genocide".
Following a squad vote regarding participation, Ireland secured a 3-0 win against Israel last weekend and are set to meet them once more in Serbia on Sunday, amid widespread national debate.
"I must focus on football. I’m going to let others think about security and other things," Hallgrimsson remarked during his pre-match press conference.
"I am not going to allow outside noise to affect me focusing on football. I must give those thoughts to others that care of security."
When asked if the players had approached him about holding another meeting regarding the return fixture against Israel, he stated: "No, they haven’t.
"Obviously the FAI has said that we are playing both the games and we are going to fulfil that. That was our intention when we came into this camp and that is still our intention.
"It’s been tough, especially on the players. It’s been really tough. Like all of this camp we almost take it day by day. (But) that is already decided that we are going to fulfil the games."
On Tuesday, the board and CEO of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) were urged to resign over their management of the national team's fixtures against Israel.
"Do you agree that the FAI handling was shambolic, arrogant, and incompetent, and the CEO and the board should resign for their handling of it," People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger asked Taoiseach Micheál Martin during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil.
"The team was sent into a cauldron of racial abuse, monkey chants for one of the players, an IDF chant. A video circulated of Yosef Hadad, who was actually brought into the Oireachtas by Minister (Jennifer Carroll) McNeil, apparently stating that we (Israel) may lose the football, but the IDF always wins.
"Now, Taoiseach, I want to ask you about the government’s role because you got up and you made a speech at the UN where you said the situation in Gaza remains an affront to all that is decent, and let it not be said we did not act, and then two days later, you facilitated a sportswash in a game against Israel. You had an open goal and you kicked it into Row Z by not backing a cancellation of the match."
