An allegation of racist abuse directed at Republic of Ireland player Adam Idah by Israeli fans during a Nations League match will not be investigated by Uefa. The European governing body confirmed to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) that its protocols were not correctly followed.
According to an FAI spokesperson, Irish midfielder Jayson Molumby heard chants aimed at Idah during the first half and asked referee Harms Osmers and fourth official Florian Exner to listen for them. However, Molumby did not explicitly state that a racial incident had taken place, and officials did not hear any racist abuse themselves, preventing an official Uefa investigation from being opened.
Despite Uefa's stance, the FAI has stated it will review video footage from the game to determine if there is evidence of racism. An FAI spokesperson said, "If we believe that to be the case, we will send [the evidence] to Uefa demanding an investigation into the incident." The FAI also noted that Idah was unsure if he heard racist chants and is reportedly unaffected.
The match, which Heimir Hallgrímsson's side won 3-0 on Sunday, followed a meeting of Irish players on Friday to decide whether to play the fixture. The nature of Israel’s conflict with Palestine in Gaza was a major factor in these discussions. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu made himself unavailable for the match and the return fixture against Israel on Sunday 4 October, but will be available for selection against Austria on Thursday.