Israel–Ireland Nations League match at risk of being called off! What’s going on?

The Israel–Ireland match has been thrown into doubt after a press conference with Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson was cancelled just 15 minutes before it was due to begin.

The coach was initially scheduled to speak to journalists at 9:15, but the event was moved to a time after training. The session was due to start at 10:00, but instead the players and coaching staff held a meeting at the team hotel in Debrecen.

Ireland’s players had also planned to meet on Friday to discuss the upcoming matches against Israel. Midfielder Jason Knight had previously said that, in his view, the games should not go ahead.

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According to reports, goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has already informed the Football Association of Ireland of his decision not to play, as he does not believe taking the field would be the right thing to do. Other players are also considering withdrawing from the match.

The situation escalated after Hallgrímsson said that his team was “playing against genocide.” The comments sparked a furious reaction from the Israel Football Association, while Ireland’s prime minister, Micheál Martin, described the coach’s statement as unacceptable.

It remains unclear whether Ireland will take to the field on Sunday.