Ireland coach wants UEFA to keep team apart from Israel after contentious games

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson wants UEFA to keep Ireland and Israel apart in future competitions after their contentious Nations League games.

The teams drew 1-1 in Ireland’s “home” game in Backa Topola, Serbia on Sunday, a week after Ireland’s 3-0 win in Israel’s “home” game in Debrecen, Hungary.

The buildup to both matches was fraught, with the Ireland players coming under pressure not to play the games because of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

The enmity between the sides grew after the Irish players wore black armbands and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem before the first match. They repeated the gesture for the second match, when the Israel players wore black armbands for the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

Hallgrímsson told Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ afterward that he thinks UEFA should keep the sides apart in future.

“There is obviously a big support for Palestine in Ireland. There are not many countries that support Palestine as much as Ireland does,” Hallgrímsson said. “I wouldn’t wish any national team to go through what we have gone through these two weeks, so maybe UEFA just needs to step in and do something.”

Calls in Ireland to boycott the games against Israel started as soon as the Nations League draw pitted the countries against each other in February. Israel’s visit to Dublin would likely have triggered large protests and posed a major security challenge for the local police.

The FAI, which had filed a motion the previous November calling on UEFA to ban Israel from club and international competitions, resisted calls for a boycott, arguing the team could be hit with punishing sanctions by UEFA. Ireland is co-hosting the 2028 European Championship with England, Wales and Scotland.

In June the FAI said it was moving Ireland’s home game to Serbia for “operational reasons” and that no fans would be present.

Israel was already playing its home games in Hungary because of the war.

Relations between Ireland and Israel will not have improved following their meetings on the field. Tempers boiled over at times Sunday and there was a clash before halftime when Ireland fitness coach Damien Doyle said he was spat at by an Israeli player.

“There’s been a lot of those incidents that could have escalated,” Hallgrímsson said. “We were clever enough to stop it before it went too far. I felt it was kind of the intention to try to intimidate us and make us do something stupid.”

An Israeli journalist stated at the pre-match press conference the day before that the Irish players had called the Israeli players “monkeys” during the previous match, leading to an immediate rebuke from Irish communications officer Kieran Crowley, who said it was “a lie” and ended the press conference.

Ireland forward Adam Idah, who is Black, was allegedly racially abused by a small number of Israeli fans present during the first match.

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Irish players bow their heads during Israeli national anthem before the UEFA Nations League soccer match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel in Backa Topola, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Israel's Liel Abada, left, and Ireland's Troy Parrott fight for the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel in Backa Topola, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel in Backa Topola, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Players and coaches leave the field at half time during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel in Backa Topola, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Ireland's head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson speaks during a press conference ahead of the Nations League soccer match between Republic of Ireland and Israel in Backa Topola, Serbia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Chicago White Sox faded from the postseason with hardly any offense.

After winning the first two games of their best-of-five AL Division Series against Cleveland, Chicago struck out 21 times and managed just three hits in a 2-0 defeat Saturday night that advanced the Guardians to an AL Championship Series matchup against Tampa Bay.

“We wanted it so bad, it hurts,” Chicago catcher Kyle Teel said, shaking his head.

José Ramírez hit a two-run homer off Sean Burke in the fourth inning, and the White Sox became the fourth team in major league history to lose a Division Series after winning the first two games on the road.

Chicago's 21 strikeouts were the most in a nine-inning postseason game and the most in any regular or postseason game since 1900.

Munetaka Murakami and Andrew Benintendi struck out four times each, and Teel and Chase Meidroth three times apiece.

“My intent was to win this game, win this series and fly to Tampa,” White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami said through interpreter Kenzo Yagi. “It's obviously disappointing. Losing this one, there is a lot to learn from it."

Chicago become the first team to each the playoffs after three straight 100-loss seasons. The White Sox swept Houston in the wild card round for their first postseason series win since their 2005 World Series championship.

Ramírez homered on a a knuckle-curve from Burke that was 0.74 feet above the ground.

“He made the right pitch in the right spot," Teel said. "It was a ball in the dirt and he just hit it out.”

The pitch Ramírez homered on was the the lowest hit for a home run in a postseason game since MLB Statcast started tracking in 2008.

“Obviously, it came down to one pitch and one mistake I made today,” Baker said. “He's a really good player. He's probably going to be in the Hall of Fame some day. But it's frustrating.”

Chicago outscored Cleveland 7-3 in the first two games and out-hit the Guardians 12-7. Over the final three games, Cleveland had a 20-8 advantage in runs and out-hit the White Sox 27-17.

"We’re all bummed and sad, knowing we probably should have got the job done,” Chicago shortstop Colton Montgomery said. “They dug deep and did what they did. That’s a good baseball team and they scrapped it out.”

Chicago batters struck out a Division Series record 75 times and hit .194 with runners in scoring position, going 1 for 18 in the last two games. The White Sox loaded the bases in the sixth inning before Erik Sabrowski relieved Williams and struck out Murakami.

“The last few games, there were some opportunities,” Meidroth said. “It stings because this is a family, a brotherhood we have here. We wanted to win for each other and for our fans. Man, there is no better place to play than Chicago and we wanted to keep going.”

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Chicago White Sox pitcher Sean Burke reacts after a home run by Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez during the fourth inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami walks back to the dugout after striking out in the sixth inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox center fielder Brenton Doyle reacts after striking out in the third inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth dives for a ball hit by Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter during the sixth inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) and catcher Kyle Teel (8) watch from the dugout during the eighth inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)