Irish soccer official clashes with Israeli journalist before Ireland meets Israel in Nations League match

Irish soccer officials and Israeli journalists clashed on Saturday amid the heightened tension between the two teams ahead of their Nations League match in Serbia.

The press conference started with one journalist asking about Irish players’ support of Palestinians after the Flydubai incident earlier in the week. Football Association of Ireland (FAI) communications manager Kieran Crowley tried to shut down the question, saying they only wanted "football questions."

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Then, another Israeli journalist asked about allegations that Irish players made racist comments toward Israeli players, which Crowley vehemently denied.

"That’s completely untrue," Crowley shouted back.

The press conference ended shortly afterward.

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Ireland defeated Israel 3-0 in their first meeting in the Nations League. The match occurred only after Irish players took a vote on whether to go ahead with the game. Irish players wore black armbands and refused to shake Israeli players’ hands in protest.

Ireland has put pressure on the soccer team to boycott the match over Israel’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks, which left more than 1,000 Israelis dead.

The FAI moved the match to a neutral venue for "operational reasons" in June. The first match was placed in Hungary and Sunday’s match will take place in Serbia.

In November, the FAI put forth a motion calling on UEFA to ban Israel from club and international competition. The FAI, however, has resisted calls for a boycott, arguing the team could be hit with UEFA sanctions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.