Irish Staff Allege Israeli Bench Member Spat on Them During Match

Tensions flared during halftime of a match between Israel and Ireland, with Irish staff members alleging that someone from the Israeli bench spat on them as the teams headed to the locker rooms. Ireland was leading 1-0 at the break after a penalty, scored by Troy Parrott, was awarded following a VAR review.

According to Irish media reports, Damien Doyle, an Irish team staff member, claimed he was spat on by an Israeli individual. Serbian security personnel present at the stadium reportedly corroborated this account. The referee intervened, urging the players to "be clever" as they entered the tunnel.

Further reports from "The Irish Times" suggested an Israeli player spat on a member of the Irish professional staff. "Irish Examiner" noted that Israeli players approached the referee with complaints during the break, and a confrontation appeared to occur as the teams entered the tunnel amidst shouting.

A reporter for Off The Ball, Ben Symes, also tweeted about the incident, stating that allegations from Irish staff towards an Israeli could be heard inside the stadium and that the referee had to intervene.

The match is part of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, where Israel currently sits at the bottom of Group B, League 3 with one point from three games. Their upcoming fixtures are against Kosovo on November 14 and Austria on November 17.