Kosovo players walk off in Romania after ‘Serbia’ chants, game abandoned

Sursa foto: Facebook

A Nations League game between Romania and Kosovo in Bucharest was abandoned on Friday in injury time after fans in the crowd shouted “Serbia!”.

The Kosovo players left the pitch after the chants, and the game was paused at 0-0.

Romanian players stayed on the field but the Kosovo team never returned, and the referee blew the final whistle more than 30 minutes later, the match abandoned.

“The UEFA Nations League match between Romania and Kosovo has been abandoned. UEFA will communicate further information in due course,” the governing body UEFA said on its website.

Hostility between Kosovo and Serbia has persisted since the war between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanians in the late 1990s.

Kosovo and Serbia do not play each other in UEFA and FIFA tournaments.

Football’s world governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against Serbia during the 2022 World Cup after the team hung a flag in their changing room depicting Kosovo as part of Serbia.

Kosovo joined FIFA and European confederation UEFA in 2016.

Romania beat Kosovo 3-0 in the away match in Pristina.