Chronological coverage updated 4th October 2026 23:51.
Update 1 · 4th October 2026
Ireland coach alleges intimidation and spitting during tense draw with Israel
Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson claimed Israel attempted to intimidate his team during Sunday's 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw, which was played behind closed doors at the TSC Arena in Serbia.
Tensions peaked at half-time when Irish head of athletic performance Damien Doyle alleged he was spat at by an Israel player in the tunnel. Audio from television broadcasts picked up a voice stating 'he spat on me' as players left the field. Source: BBC News.
BBC News reportedly quoted Heimir Hallgrimsson (Republic of Ireland head coach) as saying: “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. It could have been a game of yellow and red cards but we were composed, the players were composed, they did well in controlling emotions.”.
Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon stated he did not witness any incident at half-time because he was inside the dressing room with his coaching staff.
BBC News reportedly quoted Ran Ben-Shimon (Israel head coach) as saying: “I never say to them to injure someone. This is not our way, we are human beings.”.
Pre-match friction and background
The match followed friction on Saturday when Ireland's pre-match press conference was ended abruptly by Football Association of Ireland (FAI) communications manager Kieran Crowley after Hallgrimsson faced questions from Israeli journalists regarding unsubstantiated allegations of Irish player racism in a prior fixture.
Simultaneously, the FAI is investigating whether Irish forward Adam Idah was subjected to racial abuse by Israel fans during a previous encounter in Debrecen, following a report made to match officials by midfielder Jayson Molumby.
The international fixtures have generated political discussion since the draw was made in February, with political groups urging Ireland to boycott the games due to the Israel-Gaza war. While goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from selection, the FAI chose to fulfil both matches.
- Ireland staff alleged a spitting incident occurred in the tunnel at half-time.
- Israel manager Ran Ben-Shimon denied seeing the event and defended his team's conduct.
- The match proceeded despite boycott calls and pre-match media disputes.
