Solomon fuels row with Ireland after Nations League snub over Gaza

Israel's captain Manor Solomon has escalated tensions with the Republic of Ireland, insisting his country was "10 times better" and declaring: "They hate us and we don't like them."

The comments followed a Nations League fixture between the two sides that was overshadowed by a pointed show of protest from the Irish players.

According to Guardian Football, Ireland's squad kept their eyes fixed on the ground throughout Israel's national anthem, while backroom staff turned away from the pitch entirely.

The Irish players also refused the customary pre-match courtesies, declining to shake hands with their opponents or swap pennants before kick-off.

The gesture was aimed at Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have died, Guardian Football reports.

Solomon's remarks suggest the diplomatic chill around the fixture has spilled into open hostility between the camps, with the Israel captain framing the snub in personal terms rather than treating it as a one-off protest.

Nations League fixtures between the two nations have become a lightning rod for wider political tension, with players on the pitch increasingly asked to carry statements that go far beyond the result.

Neither federation has set out further steps following the match, but the strength of Solomon's language points to a rift unlikely to be resolved before the sides next meet in Nations League competition.