Ireland Head coach on spitting incident during game against Israel: ‘…not going to comment’

The UEFA Nations League saw Israel and Ireland face off again, with tempers flaring between the two teams. This marks the second meeting between the nations in less than two weeks. The Irish media reported an incident during halftime where an Israeli player allegedly spitted on the Ireland coach, Damien Doyle. Following the match, Irish football manager Heimir Hallgrimsson declined to comment on the incident, stating it would be handled by the disciplinary committee.

Israel's coach, Ran Ben-Shimon, also declined to comment, saying he was not present at the time and would provide further information later. Ireland had faced calls for a boycott of the fixtures, but they triumphed 3-0 in their first meeting a week ago. The Irish manager expressed relief that the confrontation was over, praising his players for their resilience during the challenging period.

Ireland, known for its vocal opposition to Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, staged the match without spectators in Serbia, following calls to withdraw from the fixtures. Despite the absence of fans, tensions remained high on the field. As in their first encounter, players from both teams refrained from shaking hands or exchanging flags, bowing their heads during the opposing national anthem.

Ireland honored the victims of the Gaza conflict with black armbands, while Israel wore theirs in memory of October 7 attack victims.