Spitting accusation ignites clash between Ireland and 'Israel'.. and Ireland's coach speaks of 'intimidation'
An Irish team official accused an Israeli player of spitting on him during a confrontation between the two teams after a UEFA Nations League match. Ireland's coach spoke of an atmosphere of intimidation, while Israel's coach denied knowledge of the incident. Tensions between the two teams are escalating against the backdrop of the war in Gaza.
Damien Doyle, head of physical performance for the Irish national team, accused an Israeli player of spitting on him during a confrontation between the teams as they headed to the dressing rooms after a UEFA Nations League match. Cameras captured a voice saying, "He spat on me." For his part, Heimir Hallgrímsson, the Irish national team's head coach, said he did not witness the incident himself, but indicated that his players felt attempts to intimidate them from the start of the match. In response, Ran Ben Shimon, the Israeli national team's coach, denied knowledge of the incident. Tensions had escalated between the two teams since the first match, which ended with a 3-0 victory for Ireland, amid controversy over the war in Gaza.