Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has urged UEFA to keep his team and Israel apart in future fixtures, according to Sky Sports. His call followed a tense 1-1 draw between the sides, a match that Hallgrimsson said saw Israel "tried to intimidate us," as reported by BBC.
The game was overshadowed by a spitting row. UEFA is waiting on reports regarding an alleged spitting incident, according to rte.ie. Hallgrimsson's request to European football's governing body came after the match, Sky Sports reports.
The fall-out extended beyond the pitch. Israeli media reacted sharply to the draw, with The Irish Times reporting coverage that described "hypocrisy of the Irish" as unbelievable. The Irish Independent's Daniel McDonnell wrote that there were no winners in Serbia, where the match was played, noting that tensions flared and that Ireland were looking forward to moving on.
The result leaves both teams with a point from the encounter. The draw and its aftermath have added another layer to a fixture that has now produced a formal request from the Ireland manager to UEFA.
UEFA has yet to announce any disciplinary action, and its review of the alleged spitting incident is ongoing. What happens next depends on the governing body's reports and whether it acts on Hallgrimsson's request to avoid future meetings between the two nations.
