Iceland against Israel:

“Will be playing against footballers, not soldiers”

Iceland team manager Age Hareide(Bild: APA/AFP/TT NEWS AGENCY/Anders Bjuro)

The play-offs for qualification for the European Football Championship are also politically sensitive. Before the play-off match against Israel on Thursday, Iceland's team manager Age Hareide tried to calm down those who had previously been offended by his statements. He is a peace-loving person, Hareide emphasized, and the situation in Gaza is very unpleasant for all involved: "But I'm not on anyone's side in this conflict. We will be playing against footballers, not soldiers."

This was preceded by unusually open statements about the opponent's participation in the qualifiers. The Norwegian had emphasized that he would prefer not to play against Israel. "Because of what is happening in Gaza and because of what they have done to women, children and other innocent civilians."

"I'm not interested in what he said"
In Israel, which was shaken by the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, Hareide's views were outraged. They were sometimes interpreted as if the 70-year-old was an opponent of Israel. Israeli national coach Alon Hazan wanted to defuse the situation like Hareide before the duel, which had been moved to Budapest due to the war. "I've read it, I've heard it. I'm not interested in what he said. I'm interested in soccer," said the 56-year-old.

Alon Hazan wants to shift the focus to soccer.(Bild: APA/AFP/Armend NIMANI)

But a ban on Israel was an issue on two levels. Twelve associations from the Middle East, including Palestine, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, called for Israel to be expelled from the world governing body FIFA. The latter has not yet responded to the demand. It is reportedly to be discussed at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok on May 17.

No discussion, no intention
The European association UEFA, on the other hand, has already made it clear that it sees no reason to act. When asked about a ban on Israel and the national clubs similar to that of Russia following the attack on Ukraine, General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis said at the beginning of February: "There was neither a discussion nor the intention. These are two completely different situations between two countries."

A ban on Israel is currently not an issue within UEFA.(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

With a view to the European Championships in Germany, the fates of the national teams of Israel and Ukraine are closely intertwined. Because only one gets the ticket. If Israel defeats Iceland and Ukraine wins in Bosnia-Herzegovina at the same time, they will face each other five days later.

In the run-up to the Ukraine match, a comment from the opposing coach also caused some concern. "The situation and the problems in Ukraine are their problems," Savo Milosevic told the Bosnian portal Federalna. This was also taken as a statement regarding the war situation in Ukraine.

Answer on the field
For the Ukrainian website Football24, it was enough to write of "revenge" for the provocative remarks. Coach Serhij Rebrow used it as a template to motivate the team. "I really liked it when the head coach told us at the meeting that there are a lot of remarks from the opponents, but we show everything on the soccer field and after that we will give an answer," said defender Olexander Karavaev.

Savo Milosevic (r.) received a lot of criticism for his comments on the war in Ukraine.(Bild: APA/AFP/ELVIS BARUKCIC)

Sport and politics are obviously difficult to separate. There are many opinions, which makes for discussions. Sigurdur Gisli Snorrason, a semi-successful professional footballer and prominent podcaster in Iceland, criticized Hareide and called on him to focus on sport. "I'm not talking about his opinion, it's normal. But you're the coach of the national team playing against Israel and you talk like that? Just leave it alone."