Israel
Israeli football captain hits back at Norwegian players who hint Israel should be banned from UEFA
Norway captain Martin Odegaard said that his deal would have to deal with Uefa’s decision to allow Israel to play
March 25, 2025 13:07
Norway captain Martin Odegaard said that his deal would have to deal with Uefa’s decision to allow Israel to play
March 25, 2025 13:07The captain of the Israeli national football team has angrily hit back at suggestions that Uefa should ban Israel from competing in international football during the war.
Speaking ahead of World Cup Qualifying match against the Norwegians in Hungary, Dasa was asked about
Responding to comments made by Arsenal and Norway captain Martin Odegaard, Dasa invoked Israeli hostages saying: “I wonder if those criticising us in Norway can even find Gaza on a map. We have hostages there starving under horrific conditions.”
Earlier this week, Odegaard called on his team to confront Uefa’s decision to allow Israel to continue competing amid the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict.
Odegaard also said that the ongoing war had been a frequent topic of conversation among his teammates.
“This is a background you can’t ignore. It’s terrible for everyone,” he said. “But we have to deal with the fact that UEFA decided the match would go ahead.”
Dasa also said, “Maybe the players should learn from the coach or from Erling Haaland – he’s a great player, understood that this isn’t his business, and focused only on football.”
In contrast to Odegaard's comments, Manchester City’s star striker, Erling Haaland, opted to remain neutral.
When asked about the situation, Haaland replied: “I don’t think I, as a footballer, should talk about it. There are others who should decide what to do and where they stand. Maybe ask someone else.”
Eli Dasa, the captain of Israel’s national soccer team, responds to a Norwegian 🇳🇴 journalist, referring to the hostages held in Gaza:
— David Saranga (@DavidSaranga) March 25, 2025
“We must never forget the people there - the people being held in captivity, starving to death…We cannot return to normal life until they are… pic.twitter.com/grijZ7ddBE
The match will take place on Tuesday evening at the Nagyerdei Stadium in the Hungarian town of Debrechen. When asked about how Israel feel about playing away from their home ground Dasa pointed out the continued suffering of hostages being held by Hamas, stressing, “We cannot return to normal life until they are all with us.”
He added: “As we speak, we have hostages there starving to death. So come on let’s speak about serious things. I’m sure if anything happened in Norway – and I truly hope it never does – then at least we can speak about this kind of thing.
Norwegian coach Stale Solbakken, when questioned about the ongoing conflict, during a press conference also took a measured approach, acknowledging the complexity of the situation.
He described it as a “complex situation” with “historical context” but emphasised that the players’ focus should remain on football. “What happened on October 7 was tragic for everyone, but I don’t think this is the right time to go deeper into it,” Solbakken said.
The backdrop to this match is further complicated by longstanding political tensions between Norway and Israel.
In May 2024, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, recalled the Norwegian Ambassador, Per Egil Selvaag, after the Norwegian government announced plans to recognise the State of Palestine.
This move prompted further diplomatic fallout, and in August 2024, Katz imposed additional sanctions on Norway, revoking the diplomatic status of Norwegian officials who were posted to serve in Norway's representative office in the Palestinian Authority.
In February 2025, tensions escalated further when Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz suggested that some Palestinians from Gaza should “enter their territory”.