Football: anti-Kosovar chants, match definitively stopped… What happened during the meeting between Romania and Kosovo?

Politics once again entered the stands of a Football stadium this Friday, November 15. Romania and Kosovo faced each other on the fifth day of the League of Nations, before the match was definitively interrupted (0-0). The Kosovar players left the field in the eighth minute of added time, denouncing racist chants from the local supporters.

In a press release, the Kosovo Football Federation (FFK) denounced “irresponsible and discriminatory” behavior on the part of Romanian supporters. The FFK also mentioned whistles during the Kosovar national anthem as well as the throwing of projectiles.

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For its part, the Romanian Federation (FRF) firmly denied these accusations: “It is important to emphasize that the slogan 'Kosovo is Serbia' was not chanted even once. […] The decision clearly states that the slogan 'Kosovo is Serbia' cannot be described as racist and therefore cannot trigger disciplinary proceedings.” Kosovo is a former Serbian province, which gained independence in 2008, without the Serbia never recognizes this one.

A heavy liability

The Romanian Federation refers to a previous decision by UEFA during a meeting between the two countries in September 2023. Chants “Kosovo is Serbia” came down from the stands, causing the meeting to be interrupted after twenty minutes UEFA subsequently ruled that these chants were not racist.

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It was obviously similar incidents that pushed the Kosovar players to leave the field on November 15. The FFK had warned UEFA of the risks of provocations coming from Romanian supporters, whose country does not recognize the independence of Kosovo. UEFA has already indicated that the final minutes of the match will not be played and that it will “communicate further information in due course.”