Ireland demands UEFA halt confrontations with Israel

The second leg between Ireland and Israel ended in a shared point, 1‑1, in Belgrade, behind closed doors, after the Irish had dominated the first encounter with a 3‑0 win. This match, played behind closed doors, was marked by a palpable political tension.

Ireland has experienced an international break that was more than eventful, due to the double confrontation with Israel. Between tense press conferences, post‑match statements and closed‑door meetings, football often took a back seat. The first encounter ended with an Irish 3‑0 victory.

Protests and symbols

The Irish had long hesitated to play these two matches and multiplied actions to denounce what is happening in Gaza: black armband, refusal to shake hands with the Israelis and heads down during the opponent’s anthem.

Heimir Hallgrimsson, the Icelandic manager of Ireland, said: “No, we should not” meet Israel again in future groups. He added that the decision lies with UEFA, not with the teams, and highlighted the strong support for Palestine in Ireland, among the strongest in the world.

UEFA has taken only one measure: allowing Israeli players to also wear a black armband in tribute to the victims of October 7.

According to the manager, no team should have to relive the two weeks of tension that Ireland experienced, and he hopes UEFA will intervene to prevent similar future confrontations.