Micheál Martin backs Ireland manager in dispute over Israel fixtures

Ireland’s prime minister, Micheál Martin, has supported national football manager Heimir Hallgrímsson after Israel’s football federation attacked the coach over his comments about Gaza, The Guardian reported. Speaking to reporters in New York while attending the United Nations general assembly, Martin said the federation’s remarks were unacceptable and called for them to be withdrawn.

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The federation had accused Hallgrímsson of stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy after he discussed Ireland’s two forthcoming Nations League matches against Israel. Hallgrímsson described the fixtures as playing against genocide, rather than participating alongside it. Martin said the manager’s comments reflected concern about deaths and destruction in Gaza, and also referred to remarks by UN secretary general António Guterres. Israel rejects allegations that its conduct in Gaza constitutes genocide.

The exchange comes as opposition to the fixtures grows within Ireland. According to The Guardian, more than 160 Irish sportspeople have signed an open letter urging the national side to boycott the matches. Protesters assembled outside the team’s hotel in Dublin on Monday, with additional demonstrations planned across the country before the games on September 27 and October 4.

The Football Association of Ireland has previously sought action through football’s governing structures. Last November, it passed a motion asking Uefa to suspend Israel from international competition. The association nevertheless says it has little choice but to play the scheduled matches, citing the possibility of both sporting penalties and financial sanctions if Ireland does not fulfil its commitments.

Neither match will take place in the designated home team’s country. Ireland’s October 4 home fixture has been relocated from Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to Backa Topola in Serbia because of concerns about security and disruption. The September 27 meeting, for which Israel is the home side, is also set for a neutral venue, in Debrecen, Hungary.

The dispute also sits within a wider diplomatic context. Ireland formally recognised a Palestinian state in 2024, alongside Spain and Norway, and has repeatedly criticised Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Martin’s intervention adds the prime minister’s support for Hallgrímsson as the FAI faces demands for a boycott while maintaining that refusing to play could expose the national team to sanctions.