SATURDAY MORNING IN the dusty town of Backa Topola, 160 kilometres north of Belgrade, and the usual weekend routines are being embraced in the Serbian countryside.
The ice-cream shop is open and serving excited children by 11am. Directly across the road, tucked between horse chestnut trees with falling conkers, there is a stage school in the local theatre filling up with more kids rehearsing song and dance.
Next door, the long windows of a bar-cum-café are open to allow the cigarette smoke to waft away from a dozen or so customers.
The black Lavazza coffee is recommended, served with water or a coke. A young woman in her late teens or early 20s reads a novel in the corner beneath a Johnny Cash ‘Walk The Line’ poster.
Two tables over a man in work gear (the Serbian equivalent of Snickers) is chain-smoking while nursing a pint of Jelen beer and downing an espresso. He’s either taking the edge off after a night shift or bracing himself for the day to come beneath the sweltering sun.
Men meander through three different bookmakers and casinos as cigarette smoke follows you around the room as they chase their losses. The display of Adidas runners in the window of the sports shop are priced from between 4,874 to 6,999 Dinar (€40-60).
The Israeli journalist after making an accusation of racism against Ireland's player. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
A few minutes away, behind the modern community swimming pool and beneath the towering steeple of the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the TSC Arena.
It is the 4,500-capacity venue that was opened in 2021, funded by the Hungarian State (the border is just over 50 kilometres away and street signs here are also in their language), that the FAI chose to stage this behind-closed-door fixture with Israel. The options presented by Uefa to their Irish counterparts were all based here in Serbia.
After the conference, the Israeli journalists in question followed Heimir Hallgrímsson and some of the Irish reporters down a corridor shouting more accusations and demanding to ask questions.
As the FAI delegation tried to keep the peace and inform reporters that the live section of the press conference was over, one Israeli journalist continued to shout and said he was going to call the police. They did study the video and after arriving eight hours later they informed the stadium manager that there was nothing in it to warrant further action.
All of this just served to further reinforce the sense of anger and frustration that the Republic of Ireland are in this situation. It should also be noted that on Thursday, seven Kosovo players bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem, repeating the gesture from the Irish players last week.
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Processing the level of satisfaction that the Israeli press pack seemed to revel in from their smears, not to mention the isolated nature of the venue, it just made you wonder just why are we sharing a sporting arena of any kind with Israel?
Why are we allowing ourselves play a role in their distortion of reality and attempts at propaganda?
Heimir Hallgrímsson speaks to Irish journalists in a private room. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
What is to be gained from being here, other than possibly the three points that would almost certainly condemn Israel to a relegation play-off?
The Uefa match delegate was not present for this earlier in the day as the FAI attempted to maintain some form of order. A room where some of the association’s security and operational staff were working was then commandeered for Hallgrímsson to continue his briefing with Irish reporters.
It would have been understandable had he preferred to simply end things there and then but, to his credit, the Ireland manager took questions for a further 11 minutes.
The nature of what had just happened was another example of the growing evidence to support the FAI’s case to Uefa for Ireland and Israel to be kept apart in future competitions.
Heimir Hallgrímsson (left) with Finn Azaz (centre) and Conor Coventry (right). Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“That’s maybe a question that is not for me to answer. Now we have the possibility of looking back and seeing all the things that happened and I think Uefa must take that into consideration that they can’t have, they can’t have this happening again just for players’ welfare,” Hallgrímsson said.
“It raises awareness of the things that are going on. If it changes anything, I think that’s worth it. But I think it’s not me to answer this one. It’s a good question to UEFA.”
As well as the accusations of racism – the FAI confirmed their own internal investigation into alleged abuse of Adam Idah and James Abankwah is ongoing – there were also audible chants in support of Israel Defense Force (IDF) from their fans last weekend while striker Manor Solomon said he was “proud of our soldiers” and that Israel was “10 times better” than Ireland as a country.
In some incendiary post-match remarks, the West Ham striker also said he felt the Irish “hate” Israel and that he “didn’t like” them either.
Later, at the Israeli press conference, head of communications Shlomi Barzel refuted suggestions that these references to the IDF were political.
“Why? We are very proud of our military forces. I assure each nation is very proud of the army that defends the nation. If you can give me one example of a nation that condemned the army.”
Israel FA media and communications manager Shlomi Barzel. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
At Saturday’s Ireland pre-match press conference, an Israeli reporter had taken the microphone and said: “Your players called our players monkeys during the match [last Sunday].”
“That’s that’s completely untrue, that is completely untrue, that is completely untrue,” the FAI media officer responded.
Regarding those accusations of racist abuse the Israeli journalist had stated was directed at Irish players, their team’s press officer later said: “The only thing that I want to say is that our players told us that there was trash talk between the Irish players, and it was not like normal.
“We will think about that after the match, maybe in a few days we will do research about that and then we will speak with whoever we want to.”
Barzel also insisted that Israel would not request to Uefa for the two countries to be kept apart in future. It should also be noted that one of the Israeli journalists who was on hand to video his colleagues make accusations in the earlier press conference then acted as the official interpreter alongside Israel’s manager for their press conference.
The 42 understands that FAI chief executive David Courell will be in Berlin next Thursday for the annual get-together of Uefa’s presidents and general secretaries. While there is no fixed agenda, that meeting is viewed as an opportunity to raise the prospect again.
Uefa has not yet formalised its parameters for the Euro 2028 qualifying draw, set for Belfast in December, and would also need to be discussed among the national team competitions committee.
The FAI have contacted Uefa about this, and Courell said last month that he had been told an arrangement to keep the countries apart was not possible because they had “never been in direct conflict.”
A statement from European football’s governing body clarified that “decisions to avoid certain teams being drawn against each other are made taking into consideration several factors, especially conditions between the two countries leading to structural risks for security. Uefa handles every situation very carefully on its own merits and monitors all facts and developments.”
After Hallgrímsson had been “verbally attacked” as he put it, he was asked if the events of the last two weeks had made him consider his position as Ireland manager.
“It is not on my mind now. My focus is just to finish this and survive in this camp. Coming out the best way we can. We obviously know and respect that some people might not be happy with us playing this game,” he said, explaining how midfielder Conor Coventry has been nicknamed “Brother Coventry” as he now leads a pre-match prayer among the players to help bring a sense of calm.
“In the end, not allowing politics or anything else to control football. We like our game to be disconnected from politics. In hindsight, some people might be hurt that we are playing these games, but hopefully we will look back and say this was the right decision.”
Long day of rancour and accusation adds layer of distaste to justifying Ireland-Israel games
SATURDAY MORNING IN the dusty town of Backa Topola, 160 kilometres north of Belgrade, and the usual weekend routines are being embraced in the Serbian countryside.
The ice-cream shop is open and serving excited children by 11am. Directly across the road, tucked between horse chestnut trees with falling conkers, there is a stage school in the local theatre filling up with more kids rehearsing song and dance.
Next door, the long windows of a bar-cum-café are open to allow the cigarette smoke to waft away from a dozen or so customers.
The black Lavazza coffee is recommended, served with water or a coke. A young woman in her late teens or early 20s reads a novel in the corner beneath a Johnny Cash ‘Walk The Line’ poster.
Two tables over a man in work gear (the Serbian equivalent of Snickers) is chain-smoking while nursing a pint of Jelen beer and downing an espresso. He’s either taking the edge off after a night shift or bracing himself for the day to come beneath the sweltering sun.
Men meander through three different bookmakers and casinos as cigarette smoke follows you around the room as they chase their losses. The display of Adidas runners in the window of the sports shop are priced from between 4,874 to 6,999 Dinar (€40-60).
A few minutes away, behind the modern community swimming pool and beneath the towering steeple of the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the TSC Arena.
It is the 4,500-capacity venue that was opened in 2021, funded by the Hungarian State (the border is just over 50 kilometres away and street signs here are also in their language), that the FAI chose to stage this behind-closed-door fixture with Israel. The options presented by Uefa to their Irish counterparts were all based here in Serbia.
This was the FAI making the best of a bad situation, one that came into renewed focus after the Republic of Ireland’s pre-match press conference had to be cut short due to the co-ordinated and chaotic scenes orchestrated by the Israeli journalists towards the end of the first section.
After the conference, the Israeli journalists in question followed Heimir Hallgrímsson and some of the Irish reporters down a corridor shouting more accusations and demanding to ask questions.
As the FAI delegation tried to keep the peace and inform reporters that the live section of the press conference was over, one Israeli journalist continued to shout and said he was going to call the police. They did study the video and after arriving eight hours later they informed the stadium manager that there was nothing in it to warrant further action.
All of this just served to further reinforce the sense of anger and frustration that the Republic of Ireland are in this situation. It should also be noted that on Thursday, seven Kosovo players bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem, repeating the gesture from the Irish players last week.
Processing the level of satisfaction that the Israeli press pack seemed to revel in from their smears, not to mention the isolated nature of the venue, it just made you wonder just why are we sharing a sporting arena of any kind with Israel?
Why are we allowing ourselves play a role in their distortion of reality and attempts at propaganda?
What is to be gained from being here, other than possibly the three points that would almost certainly condemn Israel to a relegation play-off?
The Uefa match delegate was not present for this earlier in the day as the FAI attempted to maintain some form of order. A room where some of the association’s security and operational staff were working was then commandeered for Hallgrímsson to continue his briefing with Irish reporters.
It would have been understandable had he preferred to simply end things there and then but, to his credit, the Ireland manager took questions for a further 11 minutes.
The nature of what had just happened was another example of the growing evidence to support the FAI’s case to Uefa for Ireland and Israel to be kept apart in future competitions.
“That’s maybe a question that is not for me to answer. Now we have the possibility of looking back and seeing all the things that happened and I think Uefa must take that into consideration that they can’t have, they can’t have this happening again just for players’ welfare,” Hallgrímsson said.
“It raises awareness of the things that are going on. If it changes anything, I think that’s worth it. But I think it’s not me to answer this one. It’s a good question to UEFA.”
As well as the accusations of racism – the FAI confirmed their own internal investigation into alleged abuse of Adam Idah and James Abankwah is ongoing – there were also audible chants in support of Israel Defense Force (IDF) from their fans last weekend while striker Manor Solomon said he was “proud of our soldiers” and that Israel was “10 times better” than Ireland as a country.
In some incendiary post-match remarks, the West Ham striker also said he felt the Irish “hate” Israel and that he “didn’t like” them either.
Later, at the Israeli press conference, head of communications Shlomi Barzel refuted suggestions that these references to the IDF were political.
“Why? We are very proud of our military forces. I assure each nation is very proud of the army that defends the nation. If you can give me one example of a nation that condemned the army.”
At Saturday’s Ireland pre-match press conference, an Israeli reporter had taken the microphone and said: “Your players called our players monkeys during the match [last Sunday].”
“That’s that’s completely untrue, that is completely untrue, that is completely untrue,” the FAI media officer responded.
Regarding those accusations of racist abuse the Israeli journalist had stated was directed at Irish players, their team’s press officer later said: “The only thing that I want to say is that our players told us that there was trash talk between the Irish players, and it was not like normal.
“We will think about that after the match, maybe in a few days we will do research about that and then we will speak with whoever we want to.”
Barzel also insisted that Israel would not request to Uefa for the two countries to be kept apart in future. It should also be noted that one of the Israeli journalists who was on hand to video his colleagues make accusations in the earlier press conference then acted as the official interpreter alongside Israel’s manager for their press conference.
The 42 understands that FAI chief executive David Courell will be in Berlin next Thursday for the annual get-together of Uefa’s presidents and general secretaries. While there is no fixed agenda, that meeting is viewed as an opportunity to raise the prospect again.
Uefa has not yet formalised its parameters for the Euro 2028 qualifying draw, set for Belfast in December, and would also need to be discussed among the national team competitions committee.
The FAI have contacted Uefa about this, and Courell said last month that he had been told an arrangement to keep the countries apart was not possible because they had “never been in direct conflict.”
A statement from European football’s governing body clarified that “decisions to avoid certain teams being drawn against each other are made taking into consideration several factors, especially conditions between the two countries leading to structural risks for security. Uefa handles every situation very carefully on its own merits and monitors all facts and developments.”
After Hallgrímsson had been “verbally attacked” as he put it, he was asked if the events of the last two weeks had made him consider his position as Ireland manager.
“It is not on my mind now. My focus is just to finish this and survive in this camp. Coming out the best way we can. We obviously know and respect that some people might not be happy with us playing this game,” he said, explaining how midfielder Conor Coventry has been nicknamed “Brother Coventry” as he now leads a pre-match prayer among the players to help bring a sense of calm.
“In the end, not allowing politics or anything else to control football. We like our game to be disconnected from politics. In hindsight, some people might be hurt that we are playing these games, but hopefully we will look back and say this was the right decision.”
***
Sunday – Ireland v Israel, Live on RTÉ, 7.45pm.
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