Anti-Israel Tennis Ball Protest Disrupts Ireland-Qatar Football Tie
Fans threw Palestinian-flag tennis balls onto the pitch twice and forced a brief stoppage as protests targeted the planned Ireland-Israel match.
- On Thursday, Irish fans temporarily suspended the friendly soccer match against Qatar at Aviva Stadium by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch, protesting the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixture against Israel.
- A "grassroots coalition of League of Ireland fans" organized the demonstration, demanding the Football Association of Ireland cancel the two scheduled matches against Israel due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
- Fans threw tennis balls in the 10th, 20th, and 33rd minutes—the latter referencing former CEO John Delaney—while national team coach Heimir Hallgrimsson criticized the disruption, stating it "kills the game."
- The FAI warned that refusing to play the matches would face "serious consequences" from UEFA, though Hallgrimsson emphasized he would respect any player who personally decides against taking the field.
- Ireland is scheduled to face Israel on September 27 on neutral ground and October 4 in Dublin, with Nations League performance impacting qualification for the 2028 European Championship.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Anti-Israel protest interrupts Ireland-Qatar football friendly
Irish football fans disrupted Ireland's friendly with World Cup participants Qatar in Dublin late Thursday by throwing tennis balls on the pitch in protest against upcoming games against Israel. An AFP journalist in the stadium said a volley of dozens of tennis balls branded with Palestinian flags and the words 'Stop the Game' were thrown by Irish supporters around the 11th minute. It occurred soon after Ireland scored the only goal in a 1-0 win…
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Ireland's soccer coach says pro-Palestinian tennis ball protest 'kills the game'
Ireland national team soccer coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the throwing of tennis balls onto the pitch by fans in a pro-Palestinian protest “kills the game.” Irish activists who want the country’s soccer federation to boycott Nations League games against Israel…
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