Uefa Initiates Disciplinary Proceedings Against Romania and Kosovo Following Abandoned Match

Uefa has initiated disciplinary action against the football federations of Romania and Kosovo. This follows the abandonment of their Nations League match in Bucharest during stoppage time, reportedly due to allegations of home fans chanting “Serbia”. The players from Kosovo departed the field with the score at 0-0 and only moments left in the game. The match was first suspended and then officially abandoned an hour later when the team did not reappear. The Kosovan Football Federation (FFK) attributed the players’ departure from the field to what it described as “irresponsible and discriminatory behaviour” by Romania fans, citing a “lack of safety and dignity.” Conversely, the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) asserted that there were “no racist chants during the match” and characterized Kosovo’s decision to walk off as “regrettable.” In an official statement, Uefa, the governing body for European football, confirmed that “disciplinary proceedings have been instigated” against both national federations. Uefa further stated: “Further information about these proceedings will be made available in due course.” Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008, a decision that followed a period of strained relations between its predominantly Albanian and Serb populations. Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Kosovo pursued independence, which was met by a severe crackdown on ethnic Albanians by Serbia. This conflict concluded in 1999 after a Nato bombing campaign targeting Serbia. While 100 countries, including the United Kingdom, recognize Kosovo’s independence, Romania and Serbia do not. Due to these political sensitivities, Kosovo and Serbia are consistently separated in draws for Uefa and Fifa competitions. The FFK alleged that its players encountered “offensive and provocative actions” continuously during the match, such as chants of ‘Kosovo is Serbia’, whistling during the national anthem, and the throwing of objects. According to the FFK, these incidents fostered an “unacceptable atmosphere not safe for our players.” Furthermore, the FFK stated it had previously alerted Uefa to “the possibility of such actions” from Romania supporters. The FRF, however, maintained that the chant ‘Kosovo is Serbia’ was not heard at any point. BBC Sport has reached out to Uefa for a statement regarding the assertions made by both federations. In a related incident, a Euro 2024 qualifier between Romania and Kosovo in Bucharest in September 2023 was halted for 50 minutes due to provocative chanting originating from a segment of Romania’s fanbase. Following that event, Uefa imposed a fine of 40,000 euros (£33,400) on the FRF and mandated that Romania play its subsequent home match without spectators. Last month, the Kosovan Football Federation itself received a fine of 61,000 euros (£50,900) from Uefa for fan misconduct during a Nations League match in September, when their national team hosted Romania. That particular match saw multiple interruptions due to fans throwing flares, encroaching onto the pitch, and whistling during the Romanian national anthem.