The Republic of Ireland players have faced persistent calls to withdraw from the games due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. However, the FAI decided to fulfil both fixtures. The teams played behind closed doors in Serbia.
The tension between the two teams has been building up over the past few weeks. The Republic of Ireland's pre-match news conference was ended abruptly after Hallgrimsson fielded a "verbal attack" from Israeli reporters. The news conference was brought to a close by FAI communications manager Kieran Crowley, who said the allegations were "completely untrue".
The fixtures have been embroiled in controversy since February when the two teams were drawn to play each other in Group B3. The Republic of Ireland players have faced persistent calls to withdraw from the games due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. The teams did not engage in pre-match formalities in either match, while the Irish players bowed their heads during Israel's national anthem.
The incident will be reviewed, with Hallgrimsson stating that he felt Israel were "trying to intimidate" his team amid allegations of spitting. The review will likely examine the half-time incident, as well as the pre-match verbal attack on Hallgrimsson.
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