Ireland coach Hallgrimsson alleges Israel tried to 'intimidate' team

Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson stated he felt Israel were "trying to intimidate" his team during Sunday's 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw. The match, played behind closed doors in Serbia, concluded with an alleged incident of spitting involving an Israeli player and a member of the Republic of Ireland's backroom staff.

"I don't want to get involved in that, but it's been like this these two games. It's tense, it's a lot of emotions," Hallgrimsson told Off The Ball when asked about the events. He added, "I felt like they were trying to intimidate us from kick-off but I give a lot of credit to the players to stay calm."

According to The Irish Times, Republic of Ireland head of athletic performance Damien Doyle alleged he was spat at by an Israeli player as the teams headed for the tunnel at half-time. Television footage appeared to capture a voice saying "he spat on me."

Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon said he did not witness any such incident. "[At] half-time I was in the dressing room, my room, with my staff," Ben-Shimon stated. "I didn't see anything. When I get the chance to check I will get back to you."

When questioned about whether his players targeted Republic of Ireland midfielder Jayson Molumby, following a complaint from the player the previous week, Ben-Shimon denied any personal vendetta. "We don't do it. We just don't do it, we are not men like this," he said. He emphasized that while he encourages his players to be aggressive, he never instructs them to injure opponents, stating, "This is not our way, we are human beings."

The two fixtures between the teams have been surrounded by controversy since the draw in February, largely due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. Pressure group Irish Sport for Palestine organized protests, including one before and during the Republic of Ireland's match against Austria in Dublin on Thursday. Some players, like goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, made themselves unavailable for the games, deeming it "wrong" to participate.

However, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) ultimately decided to proceed with both fixtures. In a gesture of solidarity, the Republic of Ireland players did not engage in pre-match formalities with Israel and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem.