Tony O'Donoghue

Yeah, let's hear from Hamer.

He was talking to Tony O'Donoghue after the game.

I have to ask you, do you think that all the noise around the Israel game has contributed in a way to what you consider a below par performance?

Couldn't say now, Tony.

They're going to be a world-beat commentary team.

So Dara Maloney and Stephen Kelly, who did the game last night, won't be there either.

Tony O'Donoghue will be on the ground there from a news perspective and to talk to Hamer and the players.

But...

With Nathan Collins injured, Dara O'Shea captains the team.

And the Ipswich Town defender was in confident mood when he spoke to Tony O'Donoghue.

I think it's two teams who are coming together at a good time.

Obviously, we're in a good position ourselves, we feel.

Hamer Halgrimson's Republic of Ireland are in Pristina preparing to play Kosovo tomorrow night in the first of four Nations League fixtures in the space of 12 days.

Joining us on the line from Pristina is our group football correspondent, Tony O'Donoghue.

Tony, good morning to you.

Ireland heading into an unprecedented international window in terms of four matches in quick succession, but also with ongoing off-field issues surrounding the Israel fixtures.

And they won't be running any advertising around again.

Equally, the FAI have also, it was reported last night by formerly of this parish, Gavin Cooney in the Irish Times, that the FAI are not doing their usual they have taken the decision not to run their usual sponsor activation around these games and that was an FAI decision communicated to its partners RTE won't be running advertising and what they will be doing is sending Tony O'Donoghue who is the soccer correspondent but he will be there to report I suppose on the news of the event rather than the sport of the event

And.

Yeah, I think like I think

So that was Hamer Halgrimson there speaking about the conversations he's had with players and the fact that they are uncomfortable about the prospect of facing Israel.

Now, the FAI CEO David Carell was also speaking about the issue and the games that are taking place with Tony O'Donoghue last week.

What we believe and what we have been consistently doing is using our voice on the international stage with the institutions that be in UEFA and FIFA to call for that change at that level because that's where a really effective boycott will come into place if they are removed from international football, a unilateral boycott.

Why do you

it's the same as it has been for some time, is that they recognize the strength of conviction from the FAI on this topic and how that reflects the solidarity the Irish people have with the Palestinian plight.

but equally they have to consider the sentiment of 54 other nations and unfortunately at this moment in time it's not universal.

So that is David Carell there speaking to our own Tony O'Donoghue.

One thing he also confirmed was that players will be made available for their mandatory pre-match media duties but added that the FAI will look to scale back elsewhere.

As mentioned earlier, Orti has confirmed that it will only provide stripped-back coverage of the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures between the Republic of Ireland and Israel.

Some soccer correspondents have said they will not travel to Hungary and Serbia for the games, but opinion is divided.

Gavin Cooney is a sports journalist with the Irish Times and he's here to talk about that topic.

You're very welcome to this week, Gavin.

O'Neill said afterwards they'd been taught a European lesson last Cranky still cranky was just my thought here.

Somewhere Tony O'Donoghue was gone.

Where pre-game, Connie McLaughlin, you know, dares to ask about the team that the manager has picked for the game.

You promised there would be changes.