Hallgrímsson calls on Uefa to keep Ireland and Israel apart in future after bad-tempered draw

The Republic of Ireland’s manager Heimir Hallgrímsson has called on Uefa to keep his side away from Israel in future draws after a pair of fixtures he admitted “has been tough on us all”. Ireland were pegged back to a draw in another tetchy encounter, this time played without fans at TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia.

Hallgrímsson did not want to comment on a half-time confrontation, after which it is understood a member of his backroom staff alleged he was spat at by an Israeli player – something the Icelandic manager said was better left to a disciplinary committee.

“We need now some time to reflect and go forward,” he said. “It’s also the best time to find your enemies when you’re lying on the ground and people are kicking you. It’s easy to see who was trying to kick you.”

Asked on RTE whether the two sides should be playing in the future, he said: “No, they shouldn’t. That’s not ours to decide, that’s Uefa. I wouldn’t want or wish any national team to go through what we have gone through these two weeks. Uefa needs to step in and do something.’

Troy Parrott’s first-half ­penalty was cancelled out after the break in the Group B3 game. Parrott, who has now scored 10 times in his past seven competitive internationals, fired the Republic in front from the spot in the 39th minute before Dor Peretz drew the sides level two ­minutes after the restart.

Ireland players again wore black armbands and bowed their heads ­during the Israeli national anthem before the teams’ second Nations League meeting on Sunday. The Israeli players also wore black armbands in memory of the people killed in the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.

Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher stepped in as captain for Dara O’Shea – who was excused to be with his wife for the birth of their child – and he pointedly avoided shaking hands with the Israel captain Peretz, despite completing the usual pre-match formality with the referee and one of his assistants.

Kelleher repeated O’Shea’s actions before the first match in Debrecen, Hungary last week, when O’Shea declined to shake the Israel captain Manor Solomon’s hand. Ireland went on to win that game 3-0 through three first-half goals. Solomon was dropped to the bench for Sunday’s match. The Israel forward Sayed Abu Farchi was back in the squad after serving a suspension for getting sent off following his goal celebration during Israel’s 3-1 defeat to Austria last month.

Finn Azaz, whose mother has Israeli heritage, was among the Irish substitutes after playing from the start against Austria on Thursday.

Ireland had started to find some fluidity when Dunne won a penalty. The Israel goalkeeper Assaf Tzur scrambled to smother the ball, and Jimmy Dunne was brought down under the challenge, with the spot-kick confirmed after a lengthy VAR check.

Peretz levelled the scoring two minutes after the restart. An Oscar Gloukh effort took a favourable deflection off Liam Scales and into the path of the acting captain, who gave ­Kelleher no chance with a low finish.

YesterSunday’s game was initially supposed to be played in Dublin, but the Football Association of Ireland moved the game to a neutral venue for “operational reasons” in June following widespread calls for a boycott in protest of Israel’s actions in Gaza. The FAI said the game would be played with no fans present.

It followed the FAI’s own motion the previous November calling on Uefa to ban Israel from club and international competitions.

The difficult atmosphere between the sides spilled over during a clash as the sides entered the tunnel at half-time. Officials then broke up a second altercation in three minutes of added time, and there were more heated words exchanged after the final whistle.