Micheal Martin: Israel FA comments on Heimir Hallgrimsson 'unacceptable'
BBC • • sports
Key Points:
- Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin condemned the Israel Football Association's comments about Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson as "unacceptable" and called for their withdrawal.
- The Israel FA accused Hallgrimsson of "ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity" after he stated the Irish team is "playing against genocide" and "against Israel, not with Israel."
- The two teams are scheduled to play twice in the Nations League, with both matches held at neutral venues in Hungary and Serbia.
- Martin supported Hallgrimsson's remarks, referencing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' condemnation of the scale of death and destruction caused by the Israeli government's actions in Gaza.
- The Football Association of Ireland did not respond to the controversy, while Martin emphasized that Israel cannot deny the widely recognized realities of the conflict.
