The Irish team also wore black armbands – in recognition of Palestinians killed in Gaza – which they did during the Hungary match too, during the tense 1-1 draw. They had already indicated ahead of the game they would not shake hands with the Israeli players and would bow their heads during Israel’s national anthem, Hatikva.
Following the match, the Republic of Ireland’s head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson claimed Israel had attempted to “intimidate" his team. Irish media also reported that Ireland’s head of athletic performance, Damien Doyle, alleged he had been spat at by an Israel player during half-time.
Neither the Republic of Ireland or Israel has confirmed the allegation.
Asked about the incident on Off The Ball, a sports podcast, Hallgrimsson said: "[There] was an accusation of spitting on someone but I didn't see it. No, we don't want to talk about this. This will be reviewed, probably like everything else that's happened between the two teams.”
Israel’s head coach Ran Ben-Shimon said he "didn't see anything".
"[At] half-time I was in the dressing room, my room, with my staff," he said.
"I didn't see anything. When I get the chance to check I will get back to you."
The match was played in Serbia behind closed doors after Ireland declined to host the fixture in Dublin, citing concerns over potential pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Political tensions surrounding the fixture have intensified in recent months, with Ireland among the European countries that have taken some of the strongest positions against Israel over the war in Gaza.
Former Manchester City and English FA chairman David Bernstein has accused the Republic of Ireland of potentially breaching international football rules during last week’s match in Hungary, claiming the fixture was turned into an anti-Israel protest.
In a comment piece for the JC, Bernstein wrote: “Not only was the fixture relocated from Dublin to Hungary due to fears of local protests, but there were concerted efforts within Ireland to prevent their country’s footballers even taking the field.
“This was compounded by inflammatory remarks by the Irish football manager which inevitably included references to the well-worn ‘genocide’ falsehood.”
The former football heavyweight continued: “The Irish team refused to shake hands with their opponents and Irish heads were ‘symbolically’ bowed when the Israeli national anthem was played.
“It was an insult to the multi-ethnic and diverse Israeli squad which includes Muslims and Druze proudly playing alongside their fellow Jewish countrymen.”
On November 19, the JC will host David Bernstein for an in-depth conversation on football’s power to bridge borders and unite communities. For tickets, scroll down[Missing Credit]
Bernstein argued Uefa should consider whether the conduct breached its regulations, writing: “I consider it highly likely that Ireland’s petulant and divisive stunts breached the rules governing international football.”
On November 19, the JC will host David Bernstein for an in-depth conversation on football’s power to bridge borders and unite communities. Tickets are available here
