Alleged spitting incident heightens tensions between Ireland and Israel

The “spitting incident” heightened tensions between Ireland and Israel in their UEFA Nations League match, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The game was played without spectators in Serbia on Sunday.

Tempers rose at half-time amid discussion that an Israeli player might have spat at a member of the Irish technical staff.

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson said he felt the opposing team had tried to intimidate his players. “I felt they were trying to intimidate us from the first whistle,” he said, while praising his squad for keeping calm. He said the match could have turned into a succession of cautions and dismissals, but that his players stayed united and controlled their emotions.

Hallgrímsson also declined to draw conclusions about the incident. “Someone was accused of spitting at someone, but I didn’t see that,” he said. He added that the matter would probably be examined, like the other events between the teams, and described the atmosphere as tense and emotional.

Israel coach Ran Ben Shimon also said he had not seen what happened: he was in the dressing room with his staff at half-time and said he would check the facts. Asked about Jason Molumby, he denied that the player had been personally targeted and said he would not ask a member of his team to deliberately play violently against an opponent.

Ireland is among the European countries most critical of Israel’s war in Gaza. The Irish Football Federation had opted to stage the match behind closed doors in Serbia, amid pressure for the teams to withdraw from matches.