Ireland manager calls on UEFA to separate Ireland and Israel in future

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has urged UEFA to separate Ireland and Israel in future football competitions following a bad-tempered match. The call follows a 1-1 draw between the two teams in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday. Sky Sports, RTE.ie, Yahoo Sports, and The Guardian all reported his comments. [1][2][4][8]

The match was played behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia. Yahoo Sports reported that the game had originally been due to take place at Dublin's Aviva Stadium. Troy Parrott scored for Ireland during the match, according to Yahoo Sports, but Ireland were held to a draw. [4][5][6]

Tensions had flared around the fixture over an alleged spitting incident and claims of intimidation. According to the BBC, Hallgrimsson said Israel tried to intimidate his team during the match. RTE.ie reported that UEFA is awaiting reports regarding an alleged spitting incident involving an Israeli player. [1][2][3]

Hallgrimsson is an Icelandic professional football manager and former dentist who currently manages the Republic of Ireland national team. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Ireland's pre-match news conference before the game in Serbia was ended abruptly after Israeli journalists questioned Hallgrimsson over a Flydubai flight incident and accusations of racial abuse. [12][14][15]