Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson says Sunday's second game against Israel is "not going to be a friendly", and he is pointing at comments from the Israeli camp after the first meeting.
Ireland won that game 3-0 in Debrecen, Hungary, last week. They did not take part in the pre-match formalities and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem. Afterwards Israel captain Manor Solomon said his country was ten times better than Ireland, and added that the two sides do not like each other. Asked on Friday whether that would make the return fixture tense, Hallgrimsson said he guessed it would.
A window dominated by the fixtures
The two Israel games have hung over this whole international window. The 'Stop The Game' campaign, organised by the pressure group Irish Sport for Palestine, urged Ireland to pull out because of the Israel-Gaza war and held protests outside the Aviva Stadium before Thursday's match with Austria. That game finished 2-2. Troy Parrott scored twice in the first half, Austria fought back, and the first half was briefly stopped by a tennis ball protest and a pitch invader.
Hallgrimsson said the toll on his squad has been real. He put some of the tiredness against Austria down to "everything going on", and he admitted he had worried about the mood inside the Aviva beforehand. In the end the support lifted the group. He thanked the fans and said the players felt more appreciated than before, which he said gives them even more pride in playing for the country.
Bazunu and the players' vote
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu made himself unavailable for both Israel matches before the Debrecen game, saying he felt it would be wrong to take part. On the eve of that match the players voted on whether to play, and the FAI's chief executive David Courell said it passed by a significant majority.
An empty stadium in Serbia
Sunday's game is Ireland's 'home' fixture, but it has been moved to the TSC Arena in Backa Topola, about 100 miles north of Belgrade, and will be played behind closed doors amid the protests. Hallgrimsson, 59, admitted he knows absolutely nothing about the town. "Everything about this is strange," he said, calling the four-game window strange, challenging and testing.
The contrast is stark. His players went from 45,000 or 50,000 supporters in Dublin to an empty ground three days later, and he accepts that is a different job to prepare for. He says the medical team will work day and night to get the squad fit and fresh. His message was plain enough: it is just another football match, but there is more at stake for everyone involved.
Match facts: Republic of Ireland v Israel, UEFA Nations League, Sunday 4 October 2026, TSC Arena, Backa Topola, Serbia, behind closed doors. Ireland beat Israel 3-0 in Debrecen last week and drew 2-2 with Austria in Dublin on Thursday, with Troy Parrott scoring twice.
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