NYON, Switzerland — The Serbian football federation has received a fine of 52,000 euros (approximately $56,500) from UEFA due to fan misconduct, which included disrespectful jeering of Switzerland’s national anthem and the display of an anti-Kosovo banner during a recent match.
UEFA’s disciplinary committee also holds Serbia accountable for incidents of discrimination that occurred during the Nations League match against Switzerland on October 12, where the attendance included Serbia’s state president, Aleksandar Vucic, in the city of Leskovac.
Matches between Serbia and Switzerland have increasingly become entangled in political tensions, particularly noted during the last two World Cup tournaments. The Swiss captain, Granit Xhaka, has ethnic Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo, further complicating the rivalry.
Serbia has yet to acknowledge the independence proclaimed by Kosovo in 2008, a move that has fueled ongoing tensions. Despite the Serbian football federation’s appeals for fans to refrain from carrying unauthorized banners to the game against Switzerland, the warnings went unheeded.
In response to these events, UEFA has enforced strict guidelines prohibiting political expressions within stadiums, indicating that Serbia transmitted messages inappropriate for a sporting environment.
Additionally, Serbia is now placed on a two-year probationary period, with a warning that any future infractions could result in the closure of a section of its stadium for one match.
Meanwhile, Hungary has also faced reprimands from UEFA due to discriminatory chants by its fans, leading to a ban on ticket sales for an upcoming Nations League game hosted in the Netherlands.
Hungary, along with Bosnia-Herzegovina, has been charged with promoting “racist or discriminatory behavior” during their Nations League encounter last month in Zenica.
As a result of the issues surrounding Hungary’s fans, a previous ticket-selling ban linked to similar incidents at the European Championship in Germany this past June has been activated.
Consequently, the Hungarian football federation is prohibited from selling tickets for a scheduled match on November 16 in Amsterdam, as confirmed by UEFA, and has also been placed under an additional probationary ticket-sales ban.
Furthermore, Hungary has incurred fines, including 20,000 euros ($21,700) related to the discriminatory behavior and an additional 14,500 euros ($15,700) for incidents involving fans setting off fireworks.
In a related matter, the Bosnian football federation has been mandated to close a section of its stadium for their match against the Netherlands on November 19, accompanied by a fine of 25,000 euros ($27,000) for the discrimination reported amongst their fans.