UEFA is investigating an allegation that a member of the Republic of Ireland's coaching staff was spat at by an Israeli player during Sunday's Nations League fixture, with the European governing body confirming it has received an official report and opened disciplinary proceedings.

The match, played behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia, was already one of the most politically charged fixtures in recent international football. Now it threatens to generate a fresh wave of controversy after UEFA confirmed that post-match reports submitted by match officials "contained an allegation of an incident in or around the tunnel at half-time" and that the matter will be the subject of a disciplinary investigation "regarding potential misconducts from player(s)".

What is alleged to have happened?

Witnesses at the ground reported hearing a member of Ireland's backroom staff — understood to be fitness coach Damian Doyle — claim he had been spat on by an Israeli player as the two squads made their way down the tunnel at the interval. The Israeli Football Association has moved swiftly to reject the allegation, with a spokesperson stating that "no one had spat towards the coach".

UEFA's willingness to open a formal investigation suggests the governing body takes the reported incident seriously, and the disciplinary process is now likely to extend the bad feeling that surrounded this double-header long after the final whistle.

Hallgrímsson credits players' composure

Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson addressed the broader atmosphere after the final whistle without dwelling specifically on the tunnel allegation. He described a pattern of what he characterised as deliberate provocations across the course of the fixture.

"There have been a lot of those 'accidents' and we were clever enough to avoid it before it went too far," Hallgrímsson said. "I felt it was their intention to intimidate us and make us do something stupid. I give big credit to how the players handled their emotions."

The Iceland-born coach has since gone a step further, publicly calling on UEFA to keep Ireland and Israel apart in future competition draws. UEFA has responded by saying decisions of that nature are taken "taking into consideration several factors, especially conditions between the two countries leading to structural risks for security", adding that each situation is handled "carefully on its own merits".

A fixture surrounded by controversy from the start

The background to these two matches has been deeply contentious. Ireland supporters placed significant pressure on the Football Association of Ireland to boycott the fixtures entirely, and the squad conducted an internal vote before agreeing to fulfil the opening game in Hungary.

The second match, nominally a home fixture for Ireland, was relocated to Backa Topola after the FAI cited "operational challenges" that would prevent it staging the game safely in Dublin. The buildup also saw two Israeli journalists banned from Ireland's post-match press conference after UEFA ruled they had brought "football into disrepute by using a press conference for politically motivated purposes" and displayed "improper behaviour" during and after a pre-match press conference.

With a disciplinary investigation now formally under way, the noises out of UEFA suggest this episode is far from over. If the allegation is upheld, any player found to have been involved could face a significant ban. The governing body has not indicated a timeline for its findings.

Frequently asked

What is UEFA investigating after Ireland vs Israel?
UEFA has opened a disciplinary investigation into an allegation that an Israeli player spat at a member of the Republic of Ireland coaching staff in or around the tunnel at half-time during Sunday's Nations League match in Serbia.
Where was the Ireland vs Israel Nations League game played?
The match was played in Backa Topola, Serbia, behind closed doors. It was nominally an Ireland home fixture but was relocated after the FAI said it could not safely stage it in Dublin.
Could Ireland and Israel be kept apart in future UEFA draws?
Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson has asked UEFA to separate the two nations in future draws. UEFA says such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, taking security and geopolitical factors into account.