DEBRECEN, Hungary (AP) — The coach of Israel’s national soccer team says he is “standing behind my country” amid calls for the team to be suspended from international competition because of the war in Gaza, adding that “we are in a very complicated situation.”
Israel “hosts” Italy in neutral Hungary in a World Cup qualifier Monday and the Italian Soccer Coaches’ Association said last month that it had written a formal letter calling for Israel to be suspended.
“We have a super morale and amazing country,” Israel coach Ran Ben-Shimon said. “I trust my people. We are trusting our army and soldiers. And I’m standing behind my country.”
Ben-Shimon added that he wasn’t paying attention to the criticism “in front of me,” because “I’m looking who is standing behind me and this is our people. We are playing for them, to make them joyful, to make them a few moments of happy.”
Israel’s players were to wear black armbands for the game, UEFA confirmed, after Palestinian attackers opened fire at a bus stop in Jerusalem on Monday. Six people were killed another 12 were wounded in the attack, according to Israeli officials.
Israel routed Moldova 4-0 on Friday and sits second in Group I behind Norway.
Norway leads the group with 12 points, Israel has nine points and four-time champion Italy trails in third with six points.
Group winners qualify automatically while the second-place finishers will enter the playoffs.
Israel has only qualified for the World Cup once, in 1970. Back then, Israel played in the Asian confederation. Due to security issues, Israel moved to UEFA, the European confederation, in 1994.
“We are in a very good process of advancing all the time in all aspects of the game,” Ben-Shimon said late Sunday. “We are in a very complicated situation in Israel, so we try to make our best out of it. I think under the circumstances that we are dealing with, we have great guys in the Israeli national team that keep on studying, keep on learning.”
A group of about 50 Italy fans clad in all black turned their backs in protest during Israel’s national anthem before a Nations League match in Hungary last year.
Israel is set to visit Italy on Oct. 14 in Udine, although the town’s mayor, Alberto Felice De Toni, has called for the game to be postponed due to security concerns.
While Israel’s games have been moved to Hungary because of the conflict in Gaza with Hamas, UEFA has not considered suspending Israel because no UEFA member is refusing to play Israeli teams.
Indeed, the Italian soccer federation has shown no interest in not playing Israel and an Italy-Israel game in Udine last October was held without incident — although amid extraordinary security measures.
“I’m a man of peace. It hurts to see people and children losing their lives,” Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said. “We’re here to play our game but there’s respect and pain for what is happening.”
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