UEFA announced on Tuesday that it has started an investigation into the fight in the tunnel during last weekend's Nations League match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel in Serbia.
The clash happened at half-time in the 1-1 draw in Backa Topola. Reports say a member of the Republic of Ireland coaching staff claimed an Israeli player spat at him.
Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson later confirmed that there was a fight. “Yeah, I was there,” he told reporters after the match. “I’m not going to comment on that one, that’s something that a disciplinary committee would probably look at.”
On Tuesday, UEFA stated, “following a review of the official reports which contained an allegation of an incident in or around the tunnel at halftime, a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to conduct the appropriate disciplinary investigation regarding potential misconduct by the player(s).”
When asked about the incident at half-time, Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon said he “didn’t see anything.”
This was the second time in a week that both teams faced each other amid rising tensions over the war in Gaza. Ireland won the first match 3-0 in Hungary.
On Sunday, Israel’s players wore black armbands to honor the victims of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack. This came after the Irish players wore them to protest against the war in Gaza.
The Irish players also bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem, and the teams did not shake hands before the match.
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