Celtic ace sparks fracas after tackle on ex-Parkhead teammate in hostile clash as manager hails 'born leaders'

Moved behind closed doors to the Backa Topola due to safety and security concerns amid intense political protests over the war in Gaza, the ‘home’ side took the lead through free-kick-scoring Celta Vigo striker Troy Parrott, who put Ireland into the driving seat when he bagged a penalty on 39 minutes. However, Israel took a share of the spoils through Dor Peretz’s 47th-minute strike.

After being left out of the line-up for last week’s 3-0 win over Israel in Debrecen, Scales returned to Heimir Hallgrimsson’s team for the draw with Austria in midweek, and found himself at the centre of the action during a hostile clash after retaining his place in the starting XI.

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Playing on the left-hand side of a back three, Celtic centre-back Scales was shown a yellow card for a tough tackle on former Parkhead teammate Liel Abada on the cusp of half-time, which sparked a confrontation shortly afterwards between players and staff from both sides. Reports claim a member of the Republic of Ireland backroom staff was spat at by an Israeli player during the fracas.

The final game of a challenging international window for the Republic of Ireland, the two clashes with Israel had dominated the discourse in Irish football over the last week, with both games played at neutral venues. After being drawn to play each other in Group B3 on the Nations League back in February, the Irish international team faced calls to withdraw from the games because of the ongoing Israel-Gaza war via the "Stop The Game" campaign.

While the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) opted to fulfil the fixtures, goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu took the decision to withdraw from the squad. In a statement released on his social media, he admitted that it felt morally wrong to participate in the games against Israel, explaining that his stance is based on his personal belief that "the killing of innocent people is wrong" and is a protest against the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.

Following Ireland’s 3-0 win against Israel last week, an allegation of racism from Israeli fans directed at former Celtic player Adam Idah at the Nagyerdei Stadium, though UEFA have confirmed they were unable to investigate the matter because it was “not noted that a racial incident occurred” by the players, with the correct protocols said to have not been followed.

Ahead of the return leg at the weekend, the two sides opted against the customary pre-match handshakes, while the Irish players bowed their heads when Israel's national anthem was played before kick-off. Republic of Ireland players also again wore black armbands as a gesture "in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict".

Following the game, Republic of Ireland boss Hallgrimsson admitted: "I'm absolutely delighted this is finished. It has taken a toll on us all. The players have been absolutely amazing in tough times. I will 100% say this team is stronger. The bonding between players has grown so much. It is in these times leaders are born.

"In these times, you find out who are your true friends, who you trust. Even though it has been tough on us all, I think we will look back to these two weeks and say this was a defining moment for us, and every problem from now on will seem lesser than what we would have seen two weeks ago. I think that is a gain from all of this, and I think we need to look positive on a negative two weeks.”