Kosovo’s players WALK OFF the pitch during their Euro 2024 qualifying clash against Romania after fans chanted ‘Kosovo is Serbia’, while they also unfurled banners with the same offensive message
- Kosovo took on Romania in a thrilling Euro 2024 qualifier in Bucharest
- The visitors left the field in the first half after anti-Kosovar chants
- Listen to the latest episode of the Mail Sport podcast It all starts!
Kosovo’s Euro 2024 qualifying match against Romania was stopped after Romanian fans heard chanting ‘Kosovo is Serbia’.
The attacking gesture – which also saw banners unfurled in the stands by Romanian supporters with the same message – resulted in the Kosovo players leaving the field before heading to the changing rooms.
Only 19 minutes of the match had been played and the score stood at 0-0 at the time of the suspension.
Kosovo and Serbia are in conflict due to the fact that the former is a mainly ethnic Albanian populated area that used to be a province of Serbia. It declared independence in 2008.
However, Serbia has refused to recognize this and still considers it part of the country, despite having no formal control there.
Kosovo’s Euro 2024 qualifying match against Romania has been abandoned after Romanian fans chanted ‘Kosovo is Serbia’ while also unfurling banners stating the same
The attacking gestures caused the Kosovar players to leave the field after just 19 minutes
Romania is a country that refuses to recognize Kosovo’s independence from Serbia in 2008
Kosovo’s independence has been recognized by about 100 countries, including Britain and the US. However, some countries, such as Russia and China, still side with Serbia, while Romania is another country that does not recognize its independence.
The standoff has led to ongoing tensions and means the Balkan region remains unstable after the bloody wars of the 1990s.
Tensions between the two nations have simmered in recent months, leading several renowned figures to comment on the issues.
This included tennis star Novak Djokovic, who wrote a message on a camera lens during the French Open in May that read: ‘Kosovo is the heart of Serbia! Stop the violence.’
The clash between Romania and Kosovo eventually resumed after a 50-minute break but showed no signs of letting up in spirit with six yellow cards in the first half, while Kosovo striker Vedat Muriqi was sent off.
The anti-Kosovar chant came from the Romanian ultras at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest
The clash was postponed for 50 minutes as organizers and officials tried to resolve the issues
When the match resumed, the tension did not diminish with six yellow and one red in the first half
Before the match even started, Romanian ultras sang “Serbia, Serbia” as the Kosovo national anthem was played, leading to stadium officials playing the anthem even louder to cover up the sounds as ethnic tensions escalated in Bucharest.
After a delay, stadium announcers then sent out a message that read: ‘Efforts are being made to resume the game. Please stop chanting our neighbor’s name! Revisionism will not be tolerated by UEFA. This is the final warning.’
Riot police and security officials then attempted to engage the ultras responsible for leading the chants, with the match officials then meeting with UEFA delegates.
A final warning was broadcast by stadium announcers before urging supporters to ‘not chant our neighbour’s name’. Don’t show the same banner’.
At halftime the match was tied: 0-0.
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