Second Israel game won't be a friendly - Hallgrimsson

What the report says

Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said Sunday’s return match against Israel will be tense and “not going to be a friendly” after remarks from the Israeli camp following last week’s meeting in Hungary. The comments come amid a highly charged international window shaped by the Israel-Gaza war, with protests over Ireland’s decision to play the fixtures and a number of fan actions around the Austria match in Dublin.

BBC Sport reports that Ireland did not take part in pre-match formalities before the earlier game in Debrecen and bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem. After Ireland’s 3-0 win, Israel captain Manor Solomon made sharply critical remarks about the Irish side. Hallgrimsson said the players face a difficult task to recover physically and mentally for the next game, and noted the squad had been affected by the surrounding controversy.

The second Israel fixture is Ireland’s designated home match, but it has been moved behind closed doors to TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia. Hallgrimsson thanked Irish supporters for backing the team at the Austria game and said the atmosphere helped the squad. More broadly, the situation has highlighted how international football can be affected by political conflict, security concerns and protests, even when the match itself is still being played under UEFA competition rules.