Strong decision from UEFA after a surprising situation in Romania. The Kosovo players refused to continue playing following pro-Serb chants.
Friday, as part of Nations League C, Romania hosted Kosovo. Both teams were fighting for the top of their group, although the Romanians had a three-point advantage and had already beaten Kosovo 0-3 in the first leg – so it would have taken a miracle for the situation to be reversed.
But as the match continued, provocative chants in praise of Serbia were heard from the stands. Kosovo, which became a member of UEFA in 2016, gained independence from Serbia in 2008, but its status is not recognized by various member countries of the European Union: Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Greece but also Romania.
The Kosovo players then decided to leave the field and not continue playing. Result: this Wednesday, the UEFA disciplinary authorities decided to inflict a defeat on Kosovo (3-0) on the green carpet, explaining that it was their fault that the match could not be completed. .
Romania, however, did not come away acquitted: the Romanian federation was fined 128,000 euros for discriminatory chants and provocations via political messages, and will have to play its next match behind closed doors.
This victory on the green carpet, however, confirms Romania’s rise to League B for next season in the Nations League. Kosovo is a barrage.
