Troy Parrott's first-half penalty was cancelled out by Dor Peretz as the second meeting between the sides in a week finished level in an empty stadium in Serbia.
Ireland and Israel drew 1-1 on Sunday in the second of their two UEFA Nations League meetings, bringing to an end a fortnight in which political tension overshadowed the football almost as much as the action on the pitch.
The match was played behind closed doors in Serbia after the Football Association of Ireland, facing calls from some supporters and politicians to boycott the fixtures, moved the game away from Dublin. A week earlier, Ireland had beaten Israel 3-0 in another closed-door fixture in Hungary. Ireland’s Icelandic coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said he was relieved the saga was over. “I’m absolutely delighted this is finished,” he told reporters. “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.”
The absence of supporters did little to calm matters on the pitch. Irish media reported that Ireland coach Damien Doyle had accused an Israeli player of spitting at him after the half-time whistle — an allegation Reuters said it could not independently verify or trace to an original source. Asked about the incident afterwards, Hallgrimsson declined to elaborate. “I was there. I’m not going to comment. It’s something a disciplinary committee will look at,” he said. Israel coach Ran Ben Shimon said he had already left the touchline and had seen nothing. “Halftime I was in the dressing room, in my room with my staff, I didn’t see anything. When I’m going to see and check, I will get back to you with the answer,” he told reporters.
<h2>No handshakes, black armbands</h2> As in the first meeting, there were no pre-match handshakes or exchanges of pennants, while players from both sides bowed their heads during the opposing national anthem. Ireland wore black armbands in memory of all the victims of the conflict in Gaza, while Israel’s players wore black armbands commemorating the victims of the October 7 attack that sparked the war.
On the field, Troy Parrott gave Ireland the lead from the penalty spot in the 39th minute, only for Dor Peretz to level immediately after the break with Israel’s first effort on target. Israel struck the woodwork twice in a poor second half in which neither side could find a winner.
The result left Ireland third in Group B3 on five points, three behind leaders Austria, with second-placed Kosovo ahead of them on goal difference. Israel sit bottom of the group with two points. Ben Shimon praised his side’s response to the 3-0 defeat and rejected suggestions his players had been overly aggressive. “When I come to a game, I say to my players, ‘This is the best way to play the cleanest football as you can, but be aggressive’, okay? I never say to injure someone, this is not our way. We are very human, human beings, we are very moral human beings,” he said.
The 32-year-old has not played first-class cricket since March 2023 but says he has spent months rebuilding his red-ball workload after years of back and hip trouble.
By: hammadkhaksar
Pakistan women's fast bowler Kainat Imtiaz has announced her retirement from international cricket, ending a 13-year career with the national team. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the decision. Kainat made her T20 international debut in 2010 and her ODI debut in 2011. She represented Pakistan in 19 one-day internationals and 21 T20 internationals. She was [...]
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