Israel 'tried to intimidate' Irish amid spitting row - Hallgrimsson

What the report says

Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said he believed Israel were trying to intimidate his players during Sunday’s 1-1 Uefa Nations League draw, played behind closed doors in Serbia. The comments came after allegations of spitting during a half-time exchange at TSC Arena, with footage and reports cited by BBC Sport indicating a verbal claim of being spat on, though neither side said they had directly seen the incident at the time.

Hallgrimsson told Off The Ball that the match had been full of emotion and tension, and said the Irish side tried to stay composed despite what he viewed as aggressive conduct. Israel coach Ran Ben-Shimon said he had not seen the reported incident and would look into it before commenting further. The dispute added to a series of flashpoints between the teams across the two recent meetings.

BBC Sport also reported that the teams’ previous match in Hungary had already been marked by controversy, including an investigation by the Football Association of Ireland into whether Republic of Ireland forward Adam Idah was racially abused by Israel supporters. The fixture, and the return game, have also been overshadowed by protests and calls for the Irish team to withdraw because of the Israel-Gaza war, giving the football context a wider political backdrop.