A controversial incident marred a Nations League match between Romania and Kosovo, leading to a 3-0 walkover victory for the home side.
The Kosovo players abruptly left the field in the 93rd minute, citing “discriminatory behavior” from Romanian fans.
Reports suggest that pro-Serbian chants, a sensitive issue given historical tensions between the two nations, triggered the walk-off.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, has since confirmed that Romania will be awarded the win.
The Kosovo Football Federation (FFK) issued a strong statement condemning the behavior of Romanian fans, alleging that they were subjected to “racist and discriminatory chants,” including “Kosovo is Serbia.”
The FFK also claimed that the atmosphere in the stadium was unsafe for their players.
The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that there were no racist chants and that the “Kosovo is Serbia” slogan was not chanted.
The FRF also pointed to a previous incident involving Kosovo, where UEFA ruled that the slogan did not constitute racist behavior.
UEFA has imposed a series of sanctions on Romania, including a fine and a closed-door match, for the discriminatory behavior of its fans.
However, the decision to award Romania the win has been met with criticism from some quarters, with questions raised about the adequacy of the punishment.
