UEFA orders Kosovo to forfeit Nations League game after team walks off. Romania punished for chants

By The Associated Press
Romania's Radu Dragusin, center, breaks up a scuffle between Romania's Denis Alibec, left, and Kosovo's Mergim Vojvoda during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Romania and Kosovo was suspended at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Alexandru Dobre]

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA ordered Kosovo on Wednesday to forfeit a Nations League game in Romania after its team refused to play on in second-half stoppage time, with the score 0-0, after hearing pro-Serbia chants.

Romania was awarded a 3-0 win by default for the game in Bucharest last Friday, though it was ordered by UEFA to play its first home game in a World Cup qualifying group next year in an empty stadium. That was punishment for “racist” chants by Romanian fans targeting neighboring Hungary.

The default result, and the award of three points to Romania, did not affect the final standings in the teams’ third-tier Nations League group. Even a 3-0 default win for Kosovo, tying both teams on 15 points, would have left Romania top of the standings on a tiebreaker of overall goal difference.

The 2026 World Cup qualifying process in Europe was affected by the UEFA verdict on Wednesday.

Romania’s new tally of 18 points, instead of 16, lifted it above Sweden and North Macedonia in the ranking of Nations League group winners. That could be key next November when entries to the World Cup qualifying playoffs are finalized.

UEFA also fined the Romanian soccer federation a total of 128,000 euros ($135,000) for a range of charges relating to “xenophobic anti-Hungarian chants,” “provocative political messages not fit for a sports event,” and disturbing the national anthems.

The state of Romania does not recognize Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008 from Serbia.

The match in Bucharest was suspended in stoppage time and later abandoned. There were scuffles between players from both sides and Kosovo players walked off the pitch.

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