Uefa has opened an inquiry into allegations that a Republic of Ireland coaching staff member was spat at during Sunday’s tense Nations League match against Israel. European football’s governing body confirmed that reports filed by match officials referred to an alleged incident in or near the tunnel at half-time. A disciplinary inquiry will examine possible […]
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Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson has urged Uefa to prevent his team from being drawn against Israel again following two matches that he said had been difficult for everyone involved. Ireland surrendered their lead and settled for a draw in another tense encounter, played behind closed doors at the TSC Arena in Backa […]
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Football and politics are deeply connected in today’s world, regardless of how much some may prefer otherwise. Whether the sport can help address society’s wider problems is far less certain. After Irish solidarity with the people of Gaza transformed the buildup into a moral debate, the result of this disappointing contest eventually seemed almost secondary. […]
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Israel forward Saied Abu Farchi was dismissed after celebrating his goal in Thursday’s 3-1 Nations League loss to Austria by pretending to fire a weapon with the corner flag. Abu Farchi headed in an equaliser in the 55th minute after Romano Schmid’s penalty had given Austria the advantage before the interval at the Raiffeisen Arena […]
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Irish prime minister Micheál Martin defended national football coach Heimir Hallgrímsson after Israel’s football federation criticised the manager as “stupid, ignorant and hypocritical” because of his statements about the conflict in Gaza. Speaking to journalists in New York while attending the UN general assembly, Martin described the federation’s response as unacceptable and called for it […]
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Gianni Infantino’s dismissal of chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who had opposed plans to sell a stake connected to the World Cup, has strengthened resistance to the Fifa president. Attempts to remove Infantino are now expected to gain momentum in the coming days. Israel became the latest Fifa member to formally withdraw its backing for […]
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