Romania awarded 3-0 win after Kosovo walk-off
UEFA rules Romania’s 3-0 win over Kosovo walk off the court Protests against alleged discriminatory chanting by home fans at Saturday’s Nations League match in Bucharest.
But the Romanian team was ordered to play its next match behind closed doors due to racist and/or discriminatory behavior by fans amid xenophobic anti-Hungarian chants.
Kosovo players left the pitch with the score 0-0 with seconds left, and the Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) later accused the home fans of “offensive and provocative behaviour”, including chants of “Kosovo is Serbia” .
The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) said “there were no racist chants during the match”.
UEFA did not mention Serbia in its disciplinary decision but fined Romania 128,000 euros (£106,000) for chanting and other offenses, including disrupting the national anthem and “spreading provocative political messages unfit for a sporting event”. “Information”.
This is the third time in recent years that both sides have been disciplined after a game.
In September 2023, after some Romanian fans issued provocative chants during the Euro 2024 qualifiers, UEFA fined the Romanian Football Federation €40,000 (£33,400) and ordered Romania to play its next home game behind closed doors.
Last month, FFK were fined €61,000 (£50,900) by UEFA for fan misconduct at a Nations League match between the two sides in September.
Kosovo unilateral declaration of independence In February 2008, relations between Serbs and mainly Albanian residents had been strained for years.
After the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Kosovo sought independence, and Serbia responded with brutal suppression of ethnic Albanians. NATO’s bombing campaign against Serbia ended in 1999.
Kosovo’s independence is recognized by 100 countries, including Britain, but not by Romania and Serbia.
Kosovo and Serbia always have a clear winner in UEFA and FIFA competitions.
