Uefa investigating Republic of Ireland-Israel row after spitting accusation

What the report says

Uefa has opened an ethics and disciplinary investigation into a half-time incident during the Republic of Ireland’s 1-1 Nations League draw with Israel, after an accusation of spitting. The match was played behind closed doors in Serbia, in Backa Topola, and the governing body said it was acting after reviewing official reports.

According to BBC Sport, the row broke out as the teams were heading down the tunnel at half-time. The Irish Times reported that Republic of Ireland head of athletic performance Damien Doyle alleged he had been spat at by an Israel player. Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson later confirmed there had been an “accusation of spitting” during the confrontation.

Uefa said an ethics and disciplinary inspector had been appointed to look into potential misconduct by player(s) in the game. The Football Association of Ireland has been contacted for comment. Israel coach Ran Ben-Shimon said he did not see the incident and would need to check what happened before commenting further.

The match took place amid heightened tensions around the fixture, which had already drawn protest because of the Israel-Gaza war. Both teams had also clashed at full-time, adding to a contest that had been politically sensitive even before kick-off.