The Ireland team’s press conference and training session the day before the first of its Nations League games against Israel were delayed Saturday as pressure to boycott the matches grew.

Journalists in Debrecen, Hungary — where Israel’s “home” game is to be played Sunday — were left waiting Saturday morning after being told the press conference was being pushed back until after training. That was 15 minutes before it was supposed to begin.

kAm%C2:?:?8 H2D 2=D@ D:8?:7:42?E=J 56=2J65[ 9@H6G6C[ H:E9 E96 A=2J6CD @?=J 6>6C8:?8 7C@> E96:C 9@E6= D@>6 a½ 9@FCD 27E6C E96 EC2:?:?8 D6DD:@? H2D DFAA@D65 E@ 368:?]k^Am

kAmxC:D9 3C@2542DE6C #%É C6A@CE65 E92E D@>6 A=2J6CD 925 564:565 E96J 5:5 ?@E H2?E E@ A=2J E96 82>6D[ 2?5 E92E E96 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 H2D E@ E2<6 A=246 2E b]b_ A]>] =@42= E:>6 — >@C6 E92? 7:G6 9@FCD 27E6C :?:E:2==J A=2??65 — H:E9 E96 EC2:?:?8 D6DD:@? C6D4965F=65 E@ E2<6 A=246 27E6C E92E]k^Am

kAmv@2=<66A6C v2G:? q2KF?F C6A@CE65=J E@=5 E96 E62> E96 ?:89E 367@C6 96 5:5 ?@E H2?E E@ A=2J[ 2?5 H2D ;@:?65 3J 2E =62DE EH@ @E96C A=2J6CD[ 3FE %96 xC:D9 %:>6D C6A@CE65 E96 C6DE @7 E96 E62> H2D A=2??:?8 E@ 8@ 29625 H:E9 E96 82>6D]k^Am

k9am!C6DDFC6 3F:=5Dk^9am

kAm%96 E62> 92D 366? 4@>:?8 F?56C :?4C62D:?8 AC6DDFC6 😕 xC6=2?5[ H96C6 277:?:EJ H:E9 !2=6DE:?:2?D 😀 DEC@?8[ E@ 3@J4@EE E96 EH@ 82>6D — E96 7:CDE @? $F?52J 2?5 E96 D64@?5[ xC6=2?5’D “9@>6” 82>6[ 😕 q24<2 %@A@=2[ $6C3:2 @? ~4E] c]k^Am

kAmxC6=2?5 >:57:6=56C y2D@? z?:89E D2:5 27E6C %9FCD52J’D `\_ =@DD 😕 z@D@G@ E92E E96 A=2J6CD H6C6 😕 2 5:77:4F=E D:EF2E:@? 2?5 E92E 96 5:5?’E E9:?< E96 >2E496D D9@F=5 36 8@:?8 29625]k^Am

kAmxC6=2?5 4@249 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:C6=2?5\:DC26=\D@446C\82>6D\?2E:@?D\=628F6\647cg3`gcgf3d342`2a_4b653gdg734fQmw6:>:C w2==8C:>DD@? AC6G:@FD=J D2:5k^2m “H6’C6 ?@E A=2J:?8 H:E9 86?@4:56[ H6’C6 A=2J:?8 282:?DE 86?@4:56] (6’C6 A=2J:?8 282:?DE xDC26=[ H6’C6 ?@E A=2J:?8 H:E9 xDC26=” — 5C2H:?8 2 7FC:@FD C624E:@? 7C@> E96 xDC26=: D@446C 7656C2E:@?[ H9:49 244FD65 E96 x46=2?5:4 4@249 @7 “DEFA:5:EJ[ :8?@C2?46 2?5 9JA@4C:DJ]”k^Am

kAm%96 u@@E32== pDD@4:2E:@? @7 xC6=2?5 925 C6D:DE65 42==D E@ 3@J4@EE E96 >2E496D[ 2C8F:?8 E96 E62> 4@F=5 36 9:E 36 AF?:D9:?8 D2?4E:@?D 3J &tup] xC6=2?5 😀 4@\9@DE:?8 E96 a_ag tFC@A62? r92>A:@?D9:A H:E9 t?8=2?5[ (2=6D 2?5 $4@E=2?5]k^Am

kAm|@C6 E92? `e_ xC:D9 DA@CEDA6@A=6 D:8?65 2? @A6? =6EE6C FC8:?8 E96 upx E@ C64@?D:56C :ED 564:D:@? E@ 8@ 29625 H:E9 E96 7:IEFC6D]k^Am

kAm%96C6 H6C6 AC@E6DE@CD @FED:56 E96 E62> 9@E6= 😕 sF3=:? =2DE H66< 42==:?8 @? E96 A=2J6CD E@ 3@J4@EE E96 82>6D] %96 $x!%& EC256 F?:@? 5:DA=2J65 2 9F86 A@DE6C 😕 46?EC2= sF3=:? 36D:56 E96 #:G6C {:776J 2D<:?8 E96 A=2J6CD E@ “v@ H:E9 J@FC 4@?D4:6?46P” 2?5 “s@?VE A=2J H:E9 86?@4:56” 36D:56 2? :>286 @7 2 3=@@5\DA=2EE6C65 32==]k^Am

kAmu@C>6C xC6=2?5 4@249 qC:2? z6CC D2:5 E96 upx 925 “=@DE @7 E96 C6DA64E @7 E96 xC:D9 A6@A=6” 7@C 8@:?8 29625 H:E9 E96 82>6D]k^Am

kAm“%96 xC:D9 A6@A=6 2?5 E96 D@446C\8@:?8 AF3=:4 5@?’E H2?E E96 82>6D E@ 36 A=2J65[” z6CC D2:5] “x E9:?< E96J’G6 >256 E96:C @A:?:@?D 4=62C @G6C E96 =2DE J62C] %96 upx 324< 😕 }@G6>36C 24EF2==J H6?E E@ &tup 2?5 C6BF6DE65 E92E xDC26= 36 AFE @FE @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?E @? 2 AC:?4:A=6] p?5 J6E E96J H6?E 282:?DE E92E AC:?4:A=6]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^D@446CQm$66 p!’D 7F== D@446C 4@G6C286 96C6k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.