Brief

Israeli journalists disrupt Ireland coach’s press conference over Flydubai incident

The questioning linked the Flydubai incident to alleged racism in Irish football, leading the FAI’s communications manager to intervene.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 04 Oct 2026 01:30:23 GMT

During a pre‑match press conference on Saturday, Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson was repeatedly questioned by Israeli journalists about a recent Flydubai flight incident, prompting the session to end abruptly.

What happened

The media event, held ahead of the UEFA Nations League fixture between Ireland and Israel, saw an Israeli reporter ask Hallgrimsson about his views on a Flydubai flight where the co‑pilot allegedly attempted a terrorist act with an axe, injuring pilot Smit Machchhar. The journalist suggested the incident reflected the ideology of groups supporting Palestine, implying a link to Irish players’ alleged racist abuse.

What the reports add

Al Jazeera reported that the co‑pilot was described by the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general as attempting a terrorist act, and that unnamed sources identified the attacker as an Omani national, Hamam al‑Hammami. The outlet also noted that the Football Association of Ireland’s communications manager, Kieran Crowley, asked the journalist to limit questions to football‑related topics and later stopped her from continuing.

What was said

Hallgrimsson later called the episode a “verbal attack”. Crowley told the reporter, “We respected your questions at the last press conference, but we are doing football questions today.” The journalist’s exact wording was quoted as, “What do you say about the people that you support? Their ideology is based on murder.”

How it came about

Earlier coverage by Felo News documented mounting pressure on the Irish team over calls to boycott the match because of the Israel‑Gaza conflict, including a delayed press conference on 26 September. The heightened political climate set the stage for the contentious questioning at the later conference.

Key facts

• Israeli journalists questioned Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson about a Flydubai attack during a press conference. (aljazeera.com)
• The co‑pilot on the Flydubai flight attempted a terrorist act with an axe, injuring pilot Smit Machchhar. (aljazeera.com)
• FAI communications manager Kieran Crowley intervened, telling the journalist to stick to football questions. (aljazeera.com)
• Hallgrimsson described the incident as a “verbal attack”. (aljazeera.com)

Sources

• [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “‘Verbal attack’: Israeli reporters interrupt Ireland news conference”