Heimir Hallgrimsson, manager of the Republic of Ireland, has accused Israeli players of trying to intimidate his team during a tense 1-1 Nations League draw, alongside allegations of a spitting incident at halftime.
The fixture was played behind closed doors in the Serbian city of Bačka Topola, having been relocated from Dublin for operational and security reasons amid widespread calls within Ireland to boycott the match.
“I felt from the beginning that they were trying to intimidate us and provoke us into doing something stupid, so our players deserve a lot of credit for staying calm and controlling their emotions,” Hallgrimsson said.
Damien Doyle, the Irish national team’s physical performance manager, claimed that an Israeli player spat at him as both teams headed to the dressing rooms at the end of the first half. However, Hallgrimsson clarified that he did not witness the incident, noting that a disciplinary committee might look into it.
Israel head coach Ran Ben Shimon stated that he had already entered the locker room and did not see what happened, while an Israeli Football Association official simply remarked: “No comment, I didn’t see anything so I cannot comment.”
Ireland took the lead via a 39th-minute penalty converted by Troy Parrott, before Israeli captain Dor Peretz equalized two minutes into the second half, with Israel also striking the post twice.
Prior to kickoff, both teams wore black armbands for differing reasons; Ireland expressed protest against the war in Gaza, while Israeli players commemorated the victims of the October 7 attacks. Irish captain Caoimhin Kelleher also avoided shaking hands with Peretz.
The encounter came just one week after Ireland’s 3-0 victory in the first match in Hungary, which was similarly surrounded by protests, pressure to boycott, and goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrawing from the squad on ethical grounds, alongside more than 160 Irish athletes signing a letter demanding both fixtures be called off.
Tensions escalated further prior to the return fixture when Hallgrimsson’s press conference ended abruptly following accusations from Israeli journalists that Irish players had uttered racial slurs—a claim denied by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI)—before the manager subsequently urged UEFA not to draw the two national teams against each other in the future.
