The Israeli FA angrily took to social media on Monday to hit back at Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson’s comments when he used the word ‘genocide’ in previewing the upcoming fixtures.
The Icelandic boss used forceful language in defending his team as they prepare to take the field against a side that the Football Association of Ireland wanted to have suspended from competitions.
‘And I’ve said before, we’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide,’ he said at the weekend. ‘So, we’re playing against Israel. We’re not playing with Israel.’
As reports circulated that the Israelis were considering a complaint to UEFA, the Israeli FA posted on X on Monday night: ‘We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way,’ the post on X stated.
‘Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by the Republic of Ireland team coach.
‘We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, we’re playing against the coach who embodies them.’
Israel’s FA have accused Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson of ‘ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity’ after his ‘genocide’ comments
The Israeli FA are now set to report Hallgrimsson to UEFA.
The Ireland chief oversaw training at Abbotstown as he fine-tunes preparations for Thursday’s meeting with Kosovo in Pristina, but it’s the meeting with Israel in Debrecen in Hungary on Sunday, and in Backa Topola in Serbia a week later, that continue to dominate.
The Stop the Game campaign, meanwhile, published an open letter on Monday, signed by over 100 sporting figures, calling for the players not to fulfil the fixtures against Israel.
Ciara Mageean, Louise Quinn, Tony Ward, Joe Brolly and Colm O’Rourke were among the signatories. The letter claims pressure was being applied to the players after attempts to influence governing bodies and the government came to nought.
‘The FAI, UEFA, and the Irish Government have all failed you by not taking decisive action and taking this out of your hands,’ it claimed.
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