'No cure for stupidity': Israel's Football Association blasts Irish coach's calls to boycott match
The coach's comments followed an open letter asking the Ireland national football team to boycott its upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel.
The Israel Football Association (IFA) has responded to criticisms from Republic of Ireland national team coach Heimir Hallgrímsson regarding the team's potential boycott of an Israel-Ireland football match. In a post on social media, the IFA acknowledged the nation's contributions to science and humanity, including a large number of Nobel Prize winners.
However, the association criticized Hallgrimsson's comments as displaying "stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy." The IFA stated it will not be playing against Israel due to the coach embodying those traits. Hallgrimsson expressed last week that he had spoken privately with players who felt uncomfortable playing against Israel. This was sparked by an open letter signed by over 160 Irish sportspeople, including Olympian Ciara Mageean and former footballers Louise Quinn and Tony Ward, urging the team to boycott the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel, scheduled for September 27.
The Irish Sport for Palestine Group announced the letter, highlighting the significance of the moment and urging the team to demonstrate the power of sport to unite and demonstrate shared values.
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