Live updates: Heimir Hallgrímsson speaking ahead of Ireland v Israel
The Irish Times reports on a press conference featuring the Israel football team manager ahead of a match against Ireland. The discussion touched on fan relations, team pressure, and the avoidance of political questions regarding the IDF.
Why it matters
It illustrates the increasing difficulty of separating international sports from ongoing geopolitical conflicts and public scrutiny.
The press conference concludes with a statement from the Israel press officer.
“After the match I met Irish fans in our hotel. They said the most enjoyable match they attended in the last 25 years was in 2005 in Tel Aviv: the hospitality, the parks, the celebration with Israeli fans,” claiming the Irish fans said they want to return soon. He also says the Israel FA received an email on the eve of the Debrecen game from an Irish fan who said he had not missed a game for 30 years aside from during Covid, and so the Israel FA gave him a VIP ticket. “We believe in that, football should be for everyone.”
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