Football

An Israeli journalist asked why Irish players allegedly called Israeli players “monkeys” during their previous match, prompting the coach to leave the press conference.

The small group of Irish supporters cheered on their team, while the much larger and considerably noisier group of Israeli supporters cheered on Israel.

The decision follows several conflicts amid the team, with players even demanding not to play the game due to the war in Gaza.

Ireland's players discussed the possibility of staging some form of protest before the match, but Early questioned what such a gesture would mean if they were going to take the field regardless.

There were no comparable gestures from the Irish soccer team for the Israelis massacred on October 7.

Israel forward Saied Abu Farchi was shown a red card after celebrating his goal against Austria by using the corner flag to mimic a gun, leaving Israel with 10 players in a 3-1 Nations League defeat.

"This news is a reminder that the idea that Jewish people are not sporty is a myth laced with antisemitic tropes about Jewish physical weakness," Campaign Against Antisemitism said.

Ben Shimon said Israel’s objective in the Nations League is clear: challenge for the top two places while recognizing the competition’s importance as a pathway toward the European Championship.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin defended coach Heimir Hallgrimsson after he claimed that Ireland wasn't "playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide."

The coach's comments followed an open letter asking the Ireland national football team to boycott its upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel.