Israel FA hits out at Ireland manager over genocide comments

The Israel Football Association has issued a sharp rebuke of Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, calling his recent comments "stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy" ahead of their upcoming Nations League fixtures. The dispute centers on Hallgrimsson's statement that his team is "playing against genocide" in reference to Israel. Hallgrimsson made the remarks during a press conference last week while discussing the politically charged matches. "I've said before, we're not playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide. So we're playing against Israel. We're not playing with Israel," he said. In response, the Israel FA posted on its official social media account: "We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way. Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by Ireland's team coach. We're not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, we're playing against the coach who embodies them." The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) declined to comment on the Israel FA's statement.