Uefa launches investigation into Croatia and Albania fans after Serbia quit threat
Uefa has launched an investigation into Croatia and Albania supporters over anti-Serbian chanting during their Euro 2024 clash in Hamburg on Wednesday.
Serbia had made a formal complaint to Uefa about the fans’ behaviour. Jovan Surbatovic, general secretary of the Football Association of Serbia, claimed that Croatia and Albania fans chanted “Kill, kill, kill the Serb” during the 2-2 draw. He even threatened that Serbia, themselves charged by Uefa for incidents during their defeat by England on Sunday, could withdraw from the tournament.
On Thursday afternoon Uefa released a statement saying they had launched “an investigation regarding potential racist and/or discriminatory conduct by supporters”.
Speaking before his country’s Group C draw with Slovenia, Surbatovic said: “First of all, I want to thank our fans for their support in the match against England and I hope we will beat Slovenia. What happened is scandalous and we will ask Uefa for sanctions, even if it means not continuing the competition.
If Uefa doesn’t punish them, we will think about how to proceed.”
On Monday, the Serbian Football Association was charged by Uefa after their supporters displayed a banner that “transmitted a provocative message unfit for a sports event” against England and for throwing objects inside the stadium in Gelsenkirchen.
That charge came after the Kosovo Football Federation complained to European football’s governing body about “Serbian fans displaying political, chauvinistic, and racist messages against Kosovo” during the same game.
“We were punished for isolated cases and our fans behaved much better than the others,” Surbatovic said. “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.”
Serbia fans chanted “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia” in Munich’s Marienplatz on Thursday. Fans had gathered in the city-centre square before their team’s game with Slovenia at the Allianz Arena.