UEFA launches investigation into the events of the Ireland vs. Israel match.
UEFA announced on Tuesday the start of a "disciplinary investigation" following a review of "official reports" related to the UEFA Nations League match between Ireland and Israel on Sunday, which included "allegations of an incident."
UEFA announced on Tuesday the start of a "disciplinary investigation" following a review of "official reports" related to the UEFA Nations League match between Ireland and Israel on Sunday, which included "allegations of an incident."
The federation clarified that "an ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed by UEFA to investigate potential inappropriate behavior by one or more players" during the 1-1 draw between the two teams in Bačka Topola, Serbia.
According to the Irish newspaper "The Irish Times", one of the Israeli players is suspected of spitting at the performance director of the opposing team, Damian Doyle.
Icelandic coach of Ireland, Heimir Hallgrímsson, later confirmed the incident.
He told reporters after the match, "Yes, I was there", adding, "I won’t comment on that, as it is something that will likely be looked into by a disciplinary committee".
This match, like the encounter between the two teams a week earlier that ended in a 3-0 victory for Ireland, took place in a highly tense atmosphere. After some Irish players threatened to boycott in protest against the war being waged by Israel in Gaza, the first leg was eventually held in Debrecen, Hungary.
Tensions extended to the press conferences, where organizers had to end the pre-match conference for the second game after inquiries from Israeli journalists.
During both matches, the Irish players clearly bowed during the playing of their opponents' anthem, and the captains of both teams did not exchange commemorative flags or shake hands.
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