Hallgrimsson says Israel 'tried to intimidate' Republic of Ireland amid spitting row

Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson alleged that Israel tried to intimidate his team during their recent UEFA Nations League match. The incident occurred after allegations of spitting between the two teams, with Irish player Damien Doyle claiming he was spat at by an Israeli player. Hallgrimsson did not witness the alleged incident but expressed concern about the tense atmosphere between the teams.

Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon denied any involvement in the spitting allegations, stating he was unaware of the incident and only present in his dressing room at half-time. Tensions between the teams escalated further when Hallgrimsson was interrupted during a pre-match news conference by Israeli reporters, leading to the conference's abrupt end.

The FAI is currently investigating whether Irish forward Adam Idah was racially abused by Israeli fans during their first match in Hungary. Both teams played their matches at neutral venues and did not engage in pre-match formalities, with Irish players bowing their heads during Israel's national anthem.