Ireland press conference ends after racism allegation

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson’s pre-match press conference ended abruptly on October 3 after an Israeli journalist alleged that an Irish player had called an Israeli player a “monkey.” Football Association of Ireland communications officer Kieran Crowley denied the allegation, calling it untrue, before the session was stopped. The reports do not establish whether the alleged slur was used. The exchange took place as Hallgrímsson spoke ahead of Ireland’s Nations League match against Israel, scheduled for October 4 in Bačka Topola, Serbia. The reporter had first sought his response to an incident on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. An FAI official said questions should be limited to football, and Hallgrímsson declined to discuss the flight incident. Asked whether Finn Azaz would start, he said the lineup would be revealed on match day. As the press conference was ending, a journalist raised the allegation about the previous match between the teams. Crowley responded that it was untrue, and the session was brought to a close. Irish media then spoke with Hallgrímsson separately in another part of the stadium.