Ireland Push Back Press Conference Ahead of Nations League Tie With Israel

The Republic of Ireland have pushed back their pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's UEFA Nations League game against Israel in Hungary.

Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson and one player were due to face the media at 09:15 BST, 10:15 local time, before training. A UEFA official then told reporters the briefing would move to around 11:30 BST, after training. Training did not go ahead as planned either.

There is now no confirmed time for the rearranged news conference. It is expected to take place at the team hotel rather than the stadium, according to the BBC.

The delay was announced by the Football Association of Ireland. The FAI said the wait would be more than two hours, and the late change left UEFA exposed to questions about a possible fine for breaking media rules, reported by The42.

Sunday's tie is set for Debrecen, with kick-off at 19:45 BST. The Nations League is UEFA's competition for national teams, played in groups across different tiers. This is its fifth edition, with the group stage running from September 2026.

The return fixture is scheduled for 4 October in Backa Topola, Serbia. Israel are playing home games away from home for security reasons.

For fans just picking this story up, the football is only part of it. Ireland's players held a team meeting on Friday to air their views on Sunday's game and the return match.

The FAI had asked UEFA to avoid pairing Ireland with Israel in future draws. UEFA rejected that request and defended its draw policy, according to Reuters.

There have also been calls for a boycott. An Irish athletes group urged the national team not to play the fixtures, and Reuters reported that leading Irish footballers joined celebrities in May in a campaign making the same call.

Ireland have not said why Saturday's media plans changed. Hallgrimsson is still expected to speak before the game in Debrecen.