Soccer Football - Nations League - Group Stage - Romania v Kosovo - The National Arena, Bucharest, Romania - November 15, 2024 Kosovo players walk off the pitch before the end of the match Inquam Photos via REUTERS/George Calin
(Reuters) -The Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) said it had repeatedly warned European soccer's governing body UEFA about potential provocation from Romania fans ahead of Friday's Nations League match, which was abandoned when Kosovo's players walked off.
The clash between Group C2 leaders Romania and second-placed Kosovo in Bucharest was abandoned in stoppage time after the visiting players left the field with the score at 0-0 when they heard pro-Serbia chanting from the home fans, a claim Romania denied.
The match was initially suspended before being abandoned an hour later when the Kosovo team refused to return to the pitch. UEFA said disciplinary proceedings have been instigated against both federations.
"Cries such as 'Kosovo is Serbia' and 'Serbia, Serbia', whistling during the singing of the national anthem of Kosovo, throwing hard objects ... and other offensive and provocative actions were present throughout the match, creating an unacceptable atmosphere not safe for our players," the FFK said in a statement.
"FFK had warned the relevant UEFA bodies more than twice in writing about the possibility of such actions, once a few days before the match and then a few minutes before it started.
"Despite these warnings, the Romanian fans continued with irresponsible and discriminatory behaviour, forcing the Kosovo national team to leave the field due to the lack of safety and dignity."
The FFK also alleged that a Romania official "threatened and assaulted" a Kosovo player in the corridors of the stadium.
"For all these serious violations, FFK has immediately reported the incidents to the match delegate and has started preparing a full complaint with facts and evidence that will be submitted to UEFA's disciplinary bodies," it added.
Reuters has contacted UEFA for comment.
The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) said it was disappointed by the behaviour of the Kosovo delegation and players, describing their accusations as baseless while also saying their actions were premeditated.
Kosovo players were seen making an eagle gesture with crossed hands directed at Romania fans as they walked off the pitch, much to the ire of the home crowd.
The gesture mimics the eagle on Albania's national flag, which can inflame tensions between Serbian nationalists and ethnic Albanians, who make up the vast majority of Kosovo's population.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has been recognised by more than 100 countries, but not Romania.
'NO RACIST CHANTS'
"It is important to emphasise that there were no racist chants during the match, nor was the slogan 'Kosovo is Serbia' chanted even once," the FRF said.
"Moreover, we would like to remind everyone of the decision made by UEFA's Disciplinary Committee regarding a similar incident during a match last year, where Kosovo acted in the same manner.
"The decision clearly stated that the slogan 'Kosovo is Serbia' cannot be classified as racist and, therefore, cannot trigger the three-step procedure."
The three-step procedure involves the referee requesting a public announcement to call for racist behaviour to cease, suspending the match until it stops and, in some scenarios, abandoning the match altogether.
"This point was also reiterated by the UEFA delegate during the technical meeting prior to the last evening match," the FRF added.
"We find it regrettable that a football team would choose to leave the pitch and retreat to the locker room just two minutes before the final whistle, given that the result was not favourable to it."
After four matches Kosovo are three points behind Romania, who have 12 and will be promoted to League B if they finish top.
The FRF was fined by UEFA last year over pro-Serbia chanting and the display of a banner reading "Kosovo is Serbia" by supporters during a Euro 2024 qualifier between the countries at the National Arena.
Kosovo were also fined last month for interruptions in a match between the two sides in September when their fans lit and threw flares, entered the pitch and whistled during the Romanian national anthem.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris and Christian Radnedge)
