Uefa investigates after Israel player accused of spitting at Ireland coach

Uefa has launched a disciplinary investigation into allegations that an Israeli player spat at a Republic of Ireland coach during a highly charged Nations League match.

The incident is understood to have taken place in the tunnel at half-time during Sunday's game in the Serbian town of Backa Topola. Witnesses reported hearing Ireland's fitness coach, Damian Doyle, claim he had been spat on by an opposition player as the two teams left the pitch.

Uefa confirmed that the official reports submitted by the match referee and delegates included details of a half-time altercation. The European governing body said it has now opened an investigation into "potential misconducts" by players.

The Israeli Football Association has strongly denied the accusation. A spokesperson for the organisation rejected the claims, stating that "no one had spat towards the coach".

Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson, however, suggested his team had been subjected to a series of deliberate provocations designed to make them lose their temper.

"There have been a lot of those 'accidents' and we were clever enough to avoid it before it went too far," Hallgrímsson said after the match. "I felt it was their intention to intimidate us and make us do something stupid. I give big credit to how the players handled their emotions."

Why was the match played in Serbia?

The spitting allegation is the latest escalation in a double-header that had already become a significant geopolitical flashpoint.

The fixture was nominally Ireland's home match, but the Football Association of Ireland moved it to Serbia, admitting that "operational challenges" made it impossible to host the game safely in Dublin.

The Irish team had faced intense domestic pressure to boycott both Nations League matches against Israel. The squad even conducted a vote behind closed doors to decide whether they should travel for the away fixture, which was played in Hungary.

Press room bans and future draws

The animosity also spilled over into the media rooms. Uefa banned two Israeli journalists from attending the post-match press conference after finding they had brought "football into disrepute by using a press conference for politically motivated purposes" and showing "improper behaviour" before and after a pre-match media event.

In the wake of the incident, Hallgrímsson has urged Uefa to ensure Ireland and Israel are kept separate in future tournament draws to prevent further tension.

Uefa has not agreed to a permanent block, noting that such decisions are made based on "structural risks for security" and other conditions between countries. A spokesperson said the body handles every situation "very carefully on its own merits and monitors all facts and developments."