Ireland fitness coach alleges Israeli player spat at him during Nations League half-time tunnel confrontation

An Israeli player has been accused of spitting at Republic of Ireland fitness coach Damien Doyle during Sunday’s UEFA Nations League clash, with the alleged incident occurring as both teams made their way to the tunnel at half-time.

Doyle was seen protesting following the flashpoint, which unfolded in front of stadium security and local police. The confrontation drew in members of both camps before Spanish referee Juan Martínez Munuera — who had earlier awarded Ireland a first-half penalty to Troy Parrott following a VAR review — stepped in to separate the feuding parties. The referee is understood not to have witnessed the spitting incident itself, though Serbian security staff are claimed to have seen it take place, according to the Irish Independent.

The match, played behind closed doors, ended 1-1 after Israel equalised shortly after the interval. The FAI have been contacted for comment.

Tensions surrounding the fixture extended well beyond the tunnel incident. Before kick-off, UEFA confirmed that two Israeli journalists had been barred from attending either manager’s post-match press conference after their questions brought an abrupt end to Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson’s pre-match briefing. One journalist had asked Hallgrímsson whether he supported an “ideology based on murder,” while another claimed that Irish players had racially abused Israeli players during the sides’ previous meeting. FAI media officer Kieran Crowley firmly rejected that allegation on the spot, repeating “that is completely untrue” three times before escorting Hallgrímsson away.

The FAI are also examining audio recordings from pitchside microphones after midfielder Jayson Molumby approached the match official during last Sunday’s fixture to raise concerns about alleged racist abuse directed at Adam Idah and James Abankwah from Israeli supporters.