The incident reportedly occurred in or around the tunnel at half-time of the 1-1 draw at the TSC Arena, where tensions between the teams boiled over as players and officials made their way from the pitch. UEFA confirmed on Tuesday that an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector had been appointed following a review of the official reports.
According to reports, Ireland's head of athletic performance Damien Doyle was allegedly spat at by an Israeli player. The allegation has not been established as fact, and UEFA's investigation will determine whether any disciplinary offence occurred.
UEFA confirms disciplinary investigation
UEFA said the investigation followed allegations contained in the official reports from the match.
The European governing body stated that an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector would investigate "potential misconducts from player(s)" relating to the Nations League match played on 4 October 2026 in Bačka Topola.
Further information will be provided by UEFA once the disciplinary process progresses.
The development follows an initial period in which UEFA was waiting for the referee and match delegate reports before deciding whether disciplinary action was warranted.
Ireland coach declined to comment
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson was asked about the incident after Sunday's match but declined to provide details while the matter remained subject to disciplinary review.
Hallgrímsson confirmed that there had been an accusation of spitting, but said he did not want to comment further because the incident would be reviewed by the appropriate authorities.
Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon, meanwhile, said he did not witness the incident because he had already gone into the dressing room at half-time.
Tensions already high between the teams
The alleged incident was the latest flashpoint in an exceptionally tense period surrounding the two Nations League fixtures.
Ireland and Israel met twice within the space of two weeks, with both matches played at neutral venues and behind closed doors because of the political and security tensions surrounding the fixtures.
Ireland won the first meeting 3-0 in Debrecen, Hungary, before the teams drew 1-1 in Serbia on Sunday.
There were no pre-match handshakes or exchange of pennants before either fixture. During Sunday's match, Ireland wore black armbands commemorating victims of the conflict in Gaza, while Israel's players also wore black armbands in remembrance of victims of the 7 October 2023 attacks.
Ireland and Israel finish Nations League meetings
On the pitch, Troy Parrott gave Ireland the lead from the penalty spot in the 39th minute, before Israel's Dor Peretz equalised shortly after half-time.
Israel subsequently struck the woodwork twice but neither side found a winning goal, leaving the match 1-1.
The result left Ireland third in Group B3 with five points, while Israel remained bottom with two points. Austria led the group on eight points, with Kosovo second on goal difference.
With UEFA now formally investigating the alleged spitting incident, attention will turn to the evidence contained in the official match reports and any findings produced by the appointed disciplinary inspector.