Ireland and Israel draw 1-1 in Serbia following anthem protest and spitting claim

Protests and pre-match refusal of handshakes

The Republic of Ireland and Israel concluded their UEFA Nations League Group 3 fixtures with a 1-1 draw on 4 October at the TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia. Staged behind closed doors at a neutral venue following the Football Association of Ireland's June decision to move the home fixture away from Dublin, the match began with visible political demonstrations. Irish players wore black armbands in memory of victims in Gaza and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem. Acting Ireland captain Caoimhín Kelleher, stepping in for Dara O'Shea, declined to shake hands or exchange pennants with Israeli captain Dor Peretz before kickoff. Israeli players also wore UEFA-approved black armbands to commemorate the 1,221 victims of the 7 October 2023 attacks.

On-pitch contest and halftime confrontation

The physical encounter saw Israeli defenders commit five fouls in the opening 39 minutes on Irish midfielder Jayson Molumby. Ireland broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when Troy Parrott converted a penalty kick, awarded after defender Jimmy Dunne was brought down following Assaf Tzur's save from an initial Parrott effort. Tensions escalated as the teams departed for the interval, leading to a confrontation outside the tunnel where Irish fitness coach Damien Doyle accused an unnamed Israeli player of spitting at him. Israel responded immediately after the break in the 47th minute, with captain Dor Peretz scoring the equalising goal to seal the 1-1 final score under Spanish referee Martínez Munuera.

Squad tensions and managerial response

Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson opted to keep Southampton midfielder Finn Azaz on the bench for the entire match, noting that the political atmosphere and Azaz's maternal Israeli heritage created a difficult situation for the player. The fixture concluded a fortnight of off-pitch pressure that included reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrawing from both fixtures against Israel, as well as Palestinian flag protests during Ireland's 2-2 draw with Austria on Thursday. Speaking after the final whistle in Serbia, Hallgrímsson expressed relief that the two-game series had concluded and suggested that European football authorities evaluate whether the teams should meet in upcoming tournaments.

No, shouldn't. That's not ours to decide. It's for Uefa to decide. Obviously, there is a big support for Palestine in Ireland, not many countries support Palestine as much as Ireland does, so maybe. Maybe Uefa needs to step in and do something.

I'm absolutely delighted this is finished. It's taken a toll out of us all. I've given so much credit to the players. They have been absolutely amazing in tough times, and I wish no national team to go through what we have gone through for the last two weeks.