Ireland: Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said Israel appeared to be trying to intimidate his team during a tense 1-1 Uefa Nations League draw in Serbia, following an allegation that an Irish staff member was spat at by an Israeli player.
The teams clashed at half-time during the match at TSC Arena, which was played behind closed doors. Ireland’s head of athletic performance, Damien Doyle, reportedly alleged that an Israel player spat at him as the teams headed towards the tunnel.
Television footage captured a voice saying “he spat on me” during the confrontation, although Hallgrimsson said he did not personally witness the alleged incident.
What happened during the Ireland-Israel match?
Hallgrimsson said the fixture had been tense and emotionally charged and praised his players for remaining composed despite the confrontations.
“I felt like they were trying to intimidate us from kick-off,” Hallgrimsson said, adding that the match could have resulted in multiple yellow and red cards if players had lost control of their emotions.
Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon said he did not see the half-time incident and would review what happened before commenting further.
Why have tensions between Ireland and Israel increased?
Relations between the teams have been tense throughout their Nations League fixtures. Ireland’s pre-match press conference on Saturday ended abruptly after Hallgrimsson was questioned by an Israeli journalist about allegations of racism involving Irish players.
The Football Association of Ireland has also been investigating an allegation that forward Adam Idah was racially abused by Israel supporters during an earlier match in Hungary.
The fixtures have taken place amid wider controversy over the Israel-Gaza war, with Irish groups calling for the team to withdraw from the matches. Pro-Palestinian protests were held around Ireland’s previous fixture against Austria.
Despite the controversy, the FAI decided to fulfil both matches. The teams did not take part in formal pre-match ceremonies, while Irish players bowed their heads during Israel’s national anthem.