Ireland‑Israel Nations League pre‑match press conference halted amid diplomatic row
The pre‑match press conference for Ireland’s Nations League return leg against Israel was abruptly ended on Saturday after a heated exchange between Irish officials and Israeli journalists. The confrontation came before the game scheduled for Sunday at 20:45 in Backa Topola, Serbia, and highlighted the escalating political tensions surrounding the fixture.
The dispute began when Israeli reporters pressed Irish manager Heimir Hallgrímsson for a comment on the alleged attack on a Flydubai flight on Wednesday, which carried 174 passengers. One journalist demanded, “What do you say to the people you support? Your ideology is based on murder,” adding that the incident had attempted to kill 170 Israeli passengers, including 27 children. The Irish press officer rejected the line of questioning, stating that such questions would not be entertained.
The situation intensified when another reporter accused Irish players of using racist language towards Israeli players during the first‑leg match, claiming they called them “monkeys.” An Irish official intervened, repeatedly insisting the allegation was “completely false,” and the journalist’s microphone was confiscated. The reporter shouted, “Don’t touch me,” prompting the Irish delegation to call an immediate end to the conference.
The Flydubai incident, which the United Arab Emirates authorities classified as a “terror act,” involved the co‑pilot attacking the pilot with an emergency axe on a Dubai‑to‑Israel flight. Passengers overpowered the co‑pilot, allowing the aircraft to land safely. The episode has added fuel to an already volatile atmosphere.
Diplomatic friction has been mounting since the first‑leg encounter in Hungary, where Irish players bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem – a gesture condemned by Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar as standing “on the wrong side of history.” Ireland has been one of the most vocal EU members supporting Palestinian rights, officially recognizing the State of Palestine in 2024 while simultaneously affirming Israel’s right to exist.
Security concerns have forced the second leg to be relocated to Serbia. The recent press‑conference fallout raises doubts about whether the match can proceed without further incident.