The Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) has disclosed that it had repeatedly cautioned Uefa about possible provocations from Romanian fans prior to Friday's Nations League match, which was ultimately abandoned when Kosovo's players left the field. The Group C2 encounter between leaders Romania and second-placed Kosovo was halted in stoppage time. The visiting team exited the pitch with the score at 0-0 after hearing pro-Serbia chants from the home supporters. The match in Bucharest was initially paused before being officially abandoned when the Kosovo team declined to return to the field. Uefa had mentioned it would provide 'further information in due course'.
In a statement, FFK outlined: 'Cries like 'Kosovo is Serbia' and 'Serbia, Serbia', whistling during the singing of Kosovo's national anthem, throwing hard objects... and other offensive and provocative actions were prevalent throughout the match, creating an intolerable atmosphere that was unsafe for our players.' 'FFK had alerted the relevant Uefa bodies more than twice in writing about the potential for such actions, once a few days before the match and then again just minutes before it commenced,' the statement continued. 'Despite these warnings, Romanian fans persisted with irresponsible and discriminatory behavior, compelling the Kosovo national team to depart the field due to the absence of safety and dignity.' The FFK also accused a Romania official of 'threatening and assaulting' a Kosovo player in the stadium corridors.
'For all these grave violations, FFK has promptly reported the incidents to the match delegate and has begun preparing a comprehensive complaint with facts and evidence that will be submitted to Uefa's disciplinary bodies,' it added.
The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has expressed disappointment with the conduct of the Kosovo delegation and players, labeling their accusations as unfounded while also suggesting the team's actions were premeditated. Uefa has been approached for comment.
'It is crucial to highlight that there were no racist chants during the match, nor was the slogan 'Kosovo is Serbia' chanted even once,' the FRF stated. 'We find it unfortunate that a football team would opt to leave the pitch and retreat to the locker room just two minutes before the final whistle, given that the result was not in its favor.' The FRF was fined by Uefa last year for pro-Serbia chanting and the display of a banner reading 'Kosovo is Serbia' by supporters during a Euro 2024 qualifier between Romania and Kosovo at the National Arena. Kosovo was also fined last month for disruptions in September's Nations League match between the two sides in Pristina, where their fans lit and threw flares, entered the pitch, and whistled during the Romanian national anthem.
After four matches in their group, Kosovo trails Romania by three points, with Romania having 10 points and set to be promoted to League B if they finish at the top. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has been recognized by over 100 countries, but not Romania.
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