UEFA Confirms Abandoned Euro 2024 Qualifier Between Belgium and Sweden Will Not be Replay
The Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden, which was abandoned due to security reasons, will not be replayed, UEFA has confirmed. The match, which was halted at half-time after a terrorist attack in Brussels resulted in the death of two Swedish nationals, will stand with the 1-1 scoreline as the final result.
Both the Belgian and Swedish football associations expressed their desire not to replay the match, and UEFA has awarded each team one point in the Group F standings. A statement from UEFA read, “To take the mentioned decision, the Executive Committee took note that it had proved impossible to play the remaining part of the match on the following day; both the Royal Belgian Football Association and the Swedish Football Association, given the circumstances, explicitly expressed their desire not to play the remaining match time and to consider the result at the half-time interval (1-1) as final.”
The decision was made considering the upcoming November international window, which does not allow for any date to be used to complete the match. The preliminary group stage of the competition must be concluded in November, followed by the play-off draw and final tournament draw.
It is important to note that this result does not impact qualifying for Euro 2024, as Belgium has already secured their qualification and Sweden has been mathematically eliminated. Suspensions that were served during the abandoned fixture will be considered served, and single yellow cards picked up by players will remain valid.
Sweden manager Janne Andersson revealed that the players had requested the game to be abandoned as soon as they heard about the shooting. The Belgium Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden confirmed on Tuesday morning that the perpetrator of the attack had been identified and had died.
In addition to this news, UEFA has also announced that no matches will take place in Israel “until further notice” in response to the Israel-Gaza war. Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel-Aviv have been asked to propose alternative home venues for their Europa League and Europa Conference League fixtures. Their European fixtures scheduled for October 26 have been postponed to November 25 and December 6, respectively.
UEFA had previously postponed the Euro 2024 qualifier between Kosovo and Israel last week. The situation in Israel has prompted UEFA to take this decision in order to prioritize the safety and security of all participants.
In conclusion, the abandoned Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden will not be replayed, with the 1-1 half-time score standing as the final result. Both teams have been awarded one point in the Group F standings. Additionally, UEFA has announced that no matches will take place in Israel until further notice due to the ongoing conflict. Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel-Aviv have been asked to propose alternative venues for their European fixtures. The safety and security of players and officials remain a top priority for UEFA during these challenging times.