FAI ends Ireland coach’s news conference after competing racism claims
Kieran Crowley rejected an accusation against Irish players as a lie and stopped questions before the second leg against Israel.
The Football Association of Ireland ended Republic of Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson’s pre-match news conference on Saturday after journalists raised an aircraft incident and allegations of racist abuse ahead of the Nations League second leg against Israel.
FAI communications manager Kieran Crowley asked reporters to keep questions focused on football. When a journalist accused Irish players of calling Israel’s players “monkeys”, Crowley rejected the claim as a lie and brought the event to a close. Hallgrimsson later described the exchange as a “verbal attack”.
The accusation came amid separate allegations that Israeli fans racially abused Irish players Adam Idah and James Abankwah during the first leg. Irish media reported that the FAI was investigating those claims; the supplied material says competition organisers had taken no disciplinary action. Neither allegation against players is established as fact in the source material.
Questions also referred to an incident earlier in the week aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv. UAE authorities characterised the co-pilot’s alleged actions as an attempted “terrorist act”. The incident’s motive was not established in the supplied material.
Ireland won the first leg 3-0 on 27 September. The second leg was scheduled for Sunday at TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, Serbia.
