Israel's attack shadows Ireland ahead of Nations League game in Kosovo

When Ireland take the pitch against Kosovo on Thursday night in Priština, the spectre of Israel will hover over the squad after the Israeli Football Association launched a personal attack on manager Heimir Hallgrímsson on Tuesday afternoon.

Irish preparations under pressure

Hallgrímsson will attend Wednesday’s pre‑game press conference and has insisted that his squad focus solely on the Kosovo match, refusing to let the Israel issue dominate training sessions that began on Sunday.

He reminded players that both Ireland and Kosovo narrowly missed a World Cup place last summer, with Turkey progressing at Ireland’s expense, and that the priority is tactical readiness, not political debate.

Israeli FA's personal attack

Twenty‑four hours after Hallgrímsson’s United Nations‑based comment – “we’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. So we’re playing against Israel. We’re not playing with Israel” – the Israeli FA replied on social media, stating: “We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way. Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by [the Ireland] team coach.”

Political and logistical fallout

Taoiseach Micheál Martin called the remarks “unacceptable” and urged the Israeli FA to withdraw them, adding that Israel should allow media and humanitarian access to Gaza.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on sport Joanna Byrne TD accused the Israeli FA of “bullying and provoking someone representing our country on the international stage”, and said the FAI should refuse the fixtures if players’ interests are truly paramount.

The Football Association of Ireland has already planned a scaled‑back approach for its designated home game in Serbia on 4 October, opting for a closed‑door match and cancelling any pre‑match reception, a policy likely to be mirrored for the Kosovo tie.

Hallgrímsson is expected to line up alongside captain Dara O’Shea, with Nathan Collins absent, while the Irish side will also be watched for the presence of Ipswich Town defender O’Shea and minority‑owner Ed Sheeran.

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