Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said Israel were \u201ctrying to intimidate\u201d his players during a tense 1-1 Nations League draw in Serbia that was followed by an allegation of spitting.<\/p>\n
The sides clashed at half-time at TSC Arena, with the Irish Times reporting that the Republic of Ireland’s head of athletic performance, Damien Doyle, alleged an Israeli player had spat at him.<\/p>\n
Television footage appeared to capture a voice saying \u201che spat on me\u201d as the players headed towards the tunnel, although Hallgrimsson said he had not witnessed the incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t want to get involved in that, but it’s been like this these two games,\u201d Hallgrimsson told Off The Ball.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s tense, it’s a lot of emotions. It 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hallgrimsson said he believed his players had been subjected to an attempt to unsettle them from the outset.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like they were trying to intimidate us from kick-off, but I give a lot of credit to the players to stay calm,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could have been a game of yellow and red cards, but we were composed, the players were composed, they did well in controlling emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Israel manager Ran Ben-Shimon said he did not know the half-time confrontation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt half-time I was in the dressing room, my room, with my staff,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn’t see anything. When I get the chance to check, I will get back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The latest flashpoint came a day after Hallgrimsson’s pre-match press conference<\/a> was abruptly ended following a confrontation with an Israeli journalist.<\/p>\n Hallgrimsson was questioned about allegations that Irish players had made racist remarks during the teams’ previous meeting in Hungary, where Ireland won 3-0. FAI communications manager Kieran Crowley intervened, describing the allegations as \u201ccompletely untrue\u201d.<\/p>\n The controversy followed an FAI investigation into claims that Ireland forward Adam Idah was racially abused by Israel supporters during that match. Midfielder Jayson Molumby also raised concerns with officials about alleged abusive chanting.<\/p>\n Ben-Shimon rejected suggestions his players had targeted Molumby.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, come on. We don’t do it. We just don’t do it, we are not men like this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The fixtures have been politically charged since the Nations League draw in February, with pressure group Irish Sport for Palestine staging protests calling for Ireland to withdraw from the games because of the Israel-Gaza war.<\/p>\n The FAI nevertheless opted to fulfil both fixtures, played at neutral venues in Hungary and Serbia.<\/p>\n Neither match featured the usual pre-match formalities, while Ireland’s players bowed their heads during Israel’s national anthem.<\/p>\n Portugal win without Ronaldo<\/p>\n \u2060Title holders Portugal maintained their 100 per cent record in the Nations League with a \u20602-1 home win over Norway on Sunday to seal a place \u200bin the March quarter-finals and shift the focus further away from Cristiano Ronaldo’s abrupt exit from the squad last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n Goncalo Ramos netted 11 \u2060minutes from time to ensure Portugal secured a top-two finish in Group A4 as they moved six points ahead of second-placed Denmark, who beat Wales 1-0.<\/p>\n The Netherlands took over at the top of Group A2, after beating Serbia 2-1 in Eindhoven, but only on goal difference from Greece, \u2060who held on for a goalless draw at home to Germany in Thessaloniki.<\/p>\n