Press conference delayed
Republic of Ireland postpone pre‑match brief for Sunday’s Nations League game against Israel.
Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side were due to face Israel in Debrecen at 19:45 BST, with the return trip to Serbia set for 4 October.
The move follows a growing campaign to boycott the fixture, spearheaded by Irish Sport for Palestine and supported by former manager Brian Kerr and ex‑international James McClean.
Some Irish supporters claim the match should still be played, and former players Jason Knight and Chiedozie Ogbene have weighed in on the debate, with Knight saying he “didn’t think the game should go ahead.”
The conference was originally set at 09:15 BST to precede training, but UEFA officials informed journalists that it would be postponed to after training – then later announced the training session itself was delayed with no new time set.
The lack of clarity has sparked rumours that a player may pull out of the squad, and the press briefing is now to be held at the team hotel rather than the stadium.
The underlying conflict stems from the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in high casualties on both sides.
