UEFA urged to make major rule change after Ireland v Israel controversy
Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has urged UEFA to reconsider how they carry out draws ahead of future tournaments following the controversy surrounding his side’s two Nations League matches against Israel.
Hallgrimsson has watched his side take on Israel twice over the international break, with both clashes shrouded in controversy.
On September 27, Ireland romped to a 3-0 win over Israel in Hungary, with the Irish players deciding to wear black armbands in recognition of “all the lives lost in the conflict” in Gaza.
READ MORE: Republic of Ireland manager left out player vs Israel as he 'wasn't ready for playing'
Hallgrimsson urges UEFA rule change after Ireland v Israel controversy
Hallgrimsson’s side decided against shaking hands with their opponents and chose to bow their heads during Israel’s national anthem.
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The previous clashes also saw allegations of abusive chanting from a pocket of Israel supporters directed towards Ireland forward Adam Idah.
On Sunday (October 4), the sides clashed again, with the spoils shared in a 1-1 draw. Troy Parrott opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 39 minutes before Dor Peretz equalised on 47 minutes.
Like last time out, the teams did not shake hands, with two Ireland players, Finn Azaz, who is of Irish-Israeli heritage, and Gavin Bazunu, deciding to sit the fixture out.
Following last night’s clash, which took place in Serbia, allegations of spitting emerged, with Ireland’s head of athletic performance, Damien Doyle, claiming an Israel player spat at him when the teams clashed as they left the pitch for half-time.
After the match, Ireland boss Hallgrimsson claimed Israel “were trying to intimidate us” from kick-off, although he admitted that he “didn’t see it” when pressed on the alleged spitting incident.
Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon also said he “didn’t see anything”.
And given the controversy, Hallgrimsson thinks UEFA should keep the teams apart in future draws.
When asked about the prospect of future fixtures involving the teams during an interview with RTÉ, he said: “No, they shouldn't. That's not ours to decide - that's UEFA who decides that. Obviously, there's a big support for Palestine in Ireland. There's not many countries that support Palestine as much as Ireland does.
"I wouldn't wish any national team to go through what we've gone through in these two weeks, so maybe UEFA just needs to step in and do something."
The draw takes Ireland to five points from four Nations League matches, while Israel remain winless on two points in League B Group 3.
Topics: UEFA, Republic of Ireland, UEFA Nations League
Luke Davies