Ireland and Israel face UEFA probe after alleged tunnel spitting incident
UEFA has opened a formal investigation into the Republic of Ireland and Israel following a highly charged Nations League fixture on Sunday.
The governing body has tasked a disciplinary inspector with reviewing the case after official reports highlighted a half-time confrontation in the tunnel.
The match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, was held behind closed doors in the Serbian town of Backa Topola.
Tensions boil over in Serbia
Ireland’s head of athletic performance, Damien Doyle, alleged he was targeted by a spitting opponent as the squads headed off for the interval.
The Israeli Football Association has strongly rejected the accusation, stating that no player spat at the Irish staff member.
Off-pitch issues heavily overshadowed the double-header, with the first fixture on 27 September in Hungary ending in a 3-0 victory for Ireland.
Irish goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu refused to play in the fixtures, while the rest of the squad lowered their heads while the opposition’s anthem played and declined to shake hands.
Both teams wore black armbands during the matches, with the Israeli squad remembering the victims of the 7 October attacks.
The Football Association of Ireland had previously moved the nominal home fixture to Serbia due to safety concerns and operational challenges in Dublin.
Managers react to the chaos
The atmosphere was incredibly hostile, with accusations of political provocation flying from both sides during the international break.
An Israeli journalist accused the Irish squad of using racial slurs during the first match, a claim that Irish communications officer Kieran Crowley immediately dismissed as a lie before shutting down the press conference.
UEFA also banned two Israeli journalists from the post-match press conference in Serbia for improper conduct and using the media event for political purposes.
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson admitted he did not witness the alleged spitting incident himself but praised his players for keeping their heads.
Speaking after the match, Hallgrimsson said:
“I felt like they were trying to intimidate us from kick-off but I give a lot of credit to the players to stay calm.”
Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon also stated he was unaware of any altercation in the tunnel during the break.
Speaking to reporters, Ben-Shimon said:
“I didn’t see anything, I was in my room.”
A plea to keep teams apart
The intense friction surrounding the fixtures has led to calls for the two countries to be kept separate in future international tournaments.
Hallgrimsson expressed his belief that the teams should not be scheduled to play each other again.
Speaking to RTE Sport, Hallgrimsson said:
“I wouldn’t wish any national team to go through what we’ve gone through in these two weeks, so maybe UEFA just needs to step in and do something.”
The European governing body has acknowledged the unique difficulties of the situation and may consider keeping the nations apart in future draws.
Speaking about the possibility of separating the nations, a UEFA spokesperson said:
“Decisions to avoid certain teams being drawn against each other are made taking into consideration several factors, especially conditions between the two countries leading to structural risks for security.”
The disciplinary inspector will now review the official reports to determine what action, if any, will be taken against the players involved.
