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Protesters Throw Tennis Balls and Call on Ireland to Boycott Second Match Against Israel
On Saturday, Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson abruptly concluded his pre-match news conference after an Israeli journalist asked about a mid-air altercation on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Reporters pressed Hallgrimsson on alleged racism by Irish players during Sunday's 3-0 victory over Israel, alongside inquiries regarding Wednesday's plane incident involving a pilot and co-pilot.
Hallgrimsson refused to address the controversies, insisting he would not "get involved in that as others will process that." Football Association of Ireland head of communications Kieran Crowley dismissed the allegations as "completely untrue."
Stand-In captain Dara O'Shea will miss Sunday's game as his wife is due to give birth, though Hallgrimsson emphasized the team's need to emerge from the camp "together as one."
Ireland prepares for Sunday's Nations League Group B3 match against Israel in Serbia following Thursday's 2-2 draw against Austria, amid the strain of a four-game international window.
After a tense first game that the Irish have a good time boycotting due to the situation in the Palestinian enclave, the two teams are fighting again this Sunday in Serbia in a heavy geopolitical climate.
Irish fans protested Israel by throwing tennis balls decorated with Palestinian flags onto the pitch during a UEFA Nations League match against Austria.