Serbia Threatens to Withdraw from Euro 2024 Over Chanting Incident
In a recent turn of events, Serbia has threatened to withdraw from Euro 2024 following an incident of chanting between fans during the match between Croatia and Albania. The fans were heard chanting about the killing of Serbians during the 2-2 Group B draw. The general secretary of the Football Association of Serbia, Jovan Surbatovic, has called for strong sanctions to be taken against those responsible.
Surbatovic expressed his outrage in an interview with the Serbian state-owned broadcaster RTS, stating, “What happened is scandalous and we will ask UEFA for sanctions, even if it means not continuing the competition.” This incident has brought tensions between Serbian nationalists and ethnic Albanians to the forefront once again. It is worth noting that Kosovo’s population is largely made up of ethnic Albanians.
In addition to the chanting incident, another controversy arose when UEFA decided to cancel the credentials of Kosovar journalist, Arlind Sadiku. Sadiku made a nationalist double-handed eagle gesture towards Serbia fans during the game against England, mimicking the eagle on Albania’s national flag. This gesture has historically been seen as provocative and can further escalate tensions between Serbian nationalists and ethnic Albanians.
Surbatovic stated that Serbia will demand UEFA to punish both national federations involved in these incidents. He emphasized that Serbia does not want to participate in such behavior and called for appropriate measures to be taken. However, if UEFA fails to take action, Serbia will consider its options moving forward.
The Serbian Football Association has already sent a letter to UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis, highlighting the “shameful joint chanting” that took place during the match. The association is seeking a swift and decisive response from UEFA to address this issue.
This is not the first time Serbia has faced disciplinary action during the Euro 2024 tournament. They were previously fined £12,250 after fans threw objects during the match against England. Both Serbia and Albania were also fined for nationalist displays by their fans in their opening matches.
Surbatovic defended the behavior of Serbian fans, stating, “We were punished for isolated cases, and our fans behaved much better than the others. One fan was punished for racist insults, and we don’t want it to be attributed to others. We Serbs are gentlemen, and we have an open heart, so I appeal to the fans to remain gentlemen.”
Serbia’s next match is scheduled against Slovenia at 14:00 BST on Thursday. The outcome of this situation remains uncertain, but it is clear that Serbia is demanding accountability and appropriate measures to address the chanting incident and prevent further escalation of tensions between rival fan groups.
The BBC has reached out to UEFA for further comment on this matter, and it remains to be seen how UEFA will respond to Serbia’s demands for sanctions. The outcome of this situation could have significant implications not only for Serbia’s participation in Euro 2024 but also for future tournaments and UEFA’s approach to addressing fan behavior.