Ireland halt news conference ahead of Nations League rematch with Israel

Ireland ended a media session in Serbia on Saturday after heated exchanges with Israeli reporters before Sunday's Nations League return fixture in Backa Topola.

The Republic of Ireland's pre-match media session in Serbia was halted on Saturday, the day before their second UEFA Nations League meeting with Israel, after questioning directed at head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson turned confrontational.

Sunday's return leg will be staged in Backa Topola after the Football Association of Ireland declined to host the match in Ireland over security concerns. The first meeting between the teams was played in Hungary.

Ireland won that fixture 3-0 on Tuesday. The squad had voted to go ahead with the game amid concerns inside the team about the war in Gaza, and the Irish players wore armbands and stood with heads bowed during the Israeli anthem. The two captains did not shake hands before kickoff.

At the media event, one journalist pressed Hallgrimsson about a Wednesday incident aboard a Flydubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel, which Emirati judicial authorities and Israeli officials have labeled a "terrorist act." "What do you say about the people that you support? Their ideology is based on murder," the journalist asked, adding: "Just this week, one of them tried to kill 170 Israeli passengers, including 27 innocent children and thousands of others." An Irish press officer replied: "We are not doing any questions like this today. We are doing football questions."

A second journalist then told the Ireland manager, "Your players call our players monkeys during the match...", before an FAI official repeatedly insisted the claim was "completely untrue." Staff took the microphone away from the reporter, who exclaimed "Don't touch me, don't touch me," and the Irish delegation promptly ended the session.

Israeli authorities have condemned the Irish team's actions, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accusing Dublin of standing on "the wrong side of history."

Hallgrimsson, an Icelander, told reporters that keeping the group together through the period would amount to a major achievement. "Surviving this, coming out of it together as one would be a massive win for me. That is coming from my heart," he said, adding that remaining intact as a group after Sunday's match would be a big win for him, the players and the association given the challenges and criticism involved.

"There's been a lot of emotions from the people in Ireland about this, and obviously that affects the players as well," he said, explaining that the team works to keep its focus on football in a noisy environment. He said a recent change has seen players and staff gather for a brief prayer and huddle before taking the field, a routine led by Conor Coventry, who is now known as "Brother Coventry" in the squad, to help the team "start the game with cool heads."

Israel and the Republic of Ireland close out their two-match set on Sunday, October 4, at 2:45 p.m. EDT at Gradski stadion Backa Topola.