Israeli Football Chief Considers UEFA Complaint Over Ireland Coach's Remarks

Shino Zuarz, the chairman of the Israel Football Association, is contemplating filing a complaint with UEFA against Ireland and its coach following controversial statements made by the coach. Zuarz, who departed with the Israeli national team for Nations League qualifiers on Sunday, will decide whether to proceed with the complaint after considering the severity of the remarks, which are not the first of their kind.

One consideration is whether to file the complaint immediately or postpone it until after the match against Austria to avoid distracting from the game. Players are reportedly expecting Zuarz to strongly condemn the Irish coach's comments. "It cannot be that someone will say genocide about us and we will not respond to him," stated sources within the association who remained in Israel.

The usual pre-match delegation meeting is now uncertain due to these statements. Previously, despite harsh words from the Norwegian Football Association chairwoman against Israel, Zuarz met with her separately. However, the current remarks from the Irish side are considered significantly more extreme.

The Israeli team is scheduled to land in Vienna and proceed to Linz, where they will observe Yom Kippur. Seven players, including those playing in the US except for Sayed Abu Farchi, are expected to arrive only after the holiday.