Heimir Hallgrimsson accused Israel of attempting to unsettle his Republic of Ireland players during a Nations League match that ended 1-1, amid heightened tension and an allegation that an Israeli player spat during the half-time confrontation.
The game was played behind closed doors in Serbia, with players from both sides involved in disputes as they made their way to the dressing rooms.
The Irish Times reported that Damien Doyle, the Republic of Ireland’s head of physical performance, accused an Israel player of spitting at him. Television footage also appeared to capture someone saying: “He spat at me.”
“I don’t want to go into it, but it was like that in both games; it’s tense and there are a lot of emotions,” Hallgrimsson told the Off The Ball programme.
The Republic of Ireland manager said he had not personally seen the alleged incident and that it would be reviewed.
“I felt they were trying to intimidate us from the first whistle, but I have to commend the players hugely for keeping their cool,” he added.
Hallgrimsson said the match could have produced a large number of cards, but praised his players for managing their emotions during an encounter marked by hostility between the teams.
Israel manager Ran Ben Shimon said he had not witnessed the alleged spitting incident.
“I didn’t see anything. I was in the dressing room with my coaching staff, and I will answer you as soon as I have the opportunity to check what happened,” he said.
Tensions between the two sides had already increased after their first meeting, which the Republic of Ireland won 3-0.
During that match, midfielder Jason Molumby spoke to the officials about what he considered abusive chanting from some Israel supporters. The Football Association of Ireland subsequently opened an investigation into allegations that Adam Idah had been subjected to racist abuse.
Ben Shimon rejected any link between that incident and what happened to Molumby in the latest match. He said it was “not personal against the West Bromwich player” and insisted he had not asked his players to insult or act aggressively towards any opponent.
Both fixtures took place against the backdrop of widespread controversy surrounding the war in Gaza. The Football Association of Ireland faced pressure to withdraw from the two matches against Israel, while both games were staged at neutral venues.
The usual pre-match protocol was also not carried out before either fixture. Republic of Ireland players lowered their heads while Israel’s national anthem was played.
