UEFA has opened a disciplinary investigation into an alleged spitting incident during Sunday’s Nations League match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel, which ended 1-1 in Backa Topola, Serbia.

An Israeli player was accused of spitting at a member of the Irish coaching staff as the teams left the pitch at half-time. A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to conduct the investigation.

The game was played behind closed doors in Serbia after the Football Association of Ireland chose a neutral venue following protests in Ireland over the fixtures. There were no pre-match handshakes, and both teams wore black armbands.

Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his side had tried to avoid escalation. Ireland also lost 1-0 to Kosovo in Pristina earlier in the window. Neither football association had commented publicly on the spitting allegation.

The FAI is also probing alleged abuse of forward Adam Idah by a small group of Israel fans in Debrecen. Israel, meanwhile, accused Ireland players of trash talk. Both sides have avoided public comment on the spitting allegation so far.