All eyes are on the upcoming match between the Irish and Israeli national teams in the UEFA Nations League, amid a tense political and sporting atmosphere following calls in Ireland to boycott matches of the Israeli national team.
The Republic of Ireland national team coach, Icelandic Heimir HallgrÃmsson, sparked controversy with statements during the team roster announcement conference, in which he said: "We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel, not with Israel."
The coach's comments came at a time when he said that some of the national team players felt uneasy about playing the two matches against Israel, given the escalating controversy surrounding the Israeli team's participation in European competitions.
The Israeli Football Association responded to HallgrÃmsson's statements with a strongly worded statement on its official account, accusing the coach of "ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity," and said that the association rejects what it described as these positions.
Reports also indicate that the Israeli Football Association is considering filing a formal complaint with UEFA regarding the coach's use of the term "genocide".
The two matches between the two teams will be held in neutral venues for security reasons.
The two sides will first meet in Debrecen, Hungary on September 27, before meeting again in Bakka Topola, Serbia on October 4, while the second match will be played behind closed doors, according to arrangements made by the Football Association of Ireland.
The Irish Football Association had previously confirmed that the relocation of the home match outside the country was due to what it described as "operational challenges" that could affect holding the match in Dublin, while emphasizing its respect for the positions of the players, fans, and campaigns calling for a boycott of the match.
These developments come amid continued controversy over UEFA's decision to allow the two matches to take place, at a time when the Irish Football Association had previously demanded that the two teams not be placed in the same group in the future, while UEFA explained that the separation of teams is done according to security considerations and examining each case individually.
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