Hallgrimsson: No team should have to go through what we did
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson expressed relief as a gruelling international window ended, saying he hopes no other national team faces what his squad endured over the past two weeks, which included controversial matches against Israel.
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said he was relieved that a difficult two-week international window has come to an end, adding he hopes no other national team ever has to go through a similar experience.
Over the two weeks, Ireland played four matches, only one of them on home soil, and travelled roughly 5,000 miles in total. The window closed on Sunday with a behind-closed-doors 1-1 draw against Israel in Backa Topola, Serbia.
Pressure and controversy
Both matches against Israel — Sunday's draw and last week's 3-0 win in Debrecen — drew significant attention. The pressure group Irish Sport for Palestine campaigned under the banner 'Stop The Game', calling for a boycott over the Israel-Gaza war. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu opted out of both fixtures, saying he felt it would be wrong to take part, while the rest of the squad held a vote on whether to proceed with the games.
Ahead of Sunday's match, Hallgrimsson's pre-match news conference was cut short after an Israeli reporter alleged that some Irish players had made racist comments during last week's victory. The Football Association of Ireland firmly denied the claims and said it had separately launched its own investigation into racist abuse directed at its players by some Israel supporters in Debrecen.
A toll on the squad
Hallgrimsson admitted he had been fresher at other points in his tenure but said he had learned a great deal over the two weeks. Ireland finished the window with five points from a possible twelve. He praised his players for handling a difficult period with composure.
Midfielder Finn Azaz, who has family ties to Israel through his mother, did not feature in either match against Israel, despite having played well in Thursday's 2-2 draw against Austria. Hallgrimsson explained that the situation was especially hard for Azaz, given the squad's decision to wear black armbands and bow their heads during the Israeli national anthem in both games. The manager said he hopes Azaz continues his international career through to the 2028 European Championship finals.
