Football Nations League: Romania-Kosovo, abandoned match

Romania drew 0-0 with Kosovo at the National Arena in the penultimate match of the Romanian national football team in Group C2 of the Nations League. After accusing the Romanian fans of booing and chanting, Kosovo team left the field in the minute 93.

After a break of about 70 minutes, Danish referee Morten Krogh returned to the field and whistled the end of the match only in the presence of the Romanian players, a verdict to be given by the UEFA Disciplinary Committee.

Romanian international Denis Drăguş stated at the end of the match with the Kosovo national team, at the National Arena, in the Nations League, that the “tricolors” expected to be provoked by the guests if they did not agree with the result of the match.

Before the game, Romania had won all four previous matches and needed just one point to secure first place in the group ahead of the final round. Finishing first ensures promotion to League B.

In the final minutes of the match, Kosovo players left the field and headed to the locker room following a clash with Romanian supporters. Reports suggest the Kosovar players made obscene gestures toward Romanian fans, who responded by chanting “Serbia, Serbia.”

The incidents broke out in the 90+5 minute, when the visiting captain, Amir Rrahmani, a player for Napoli, shoved Denis Alibec, and players from both teams got involved in a scuffle. The conflict was eventually resolved, and referee Krogh gave three yellow cards, received by Rrahmani, Alibec and Dellova.

Romania was awarded a free kick, but the players continued to push each other in the box before it was taken, and the Kosovar players decided to leave the field.

Given that Romania won the round match, in Prishtina, 3-0, Kovoso needed at least a victory by this score in Bucharest to keep their chances of winning the group and promoting to League B.

“Romania has no emotions, we expect that in a week or two everything will be resolved, that is, to win 3-0. There will be no decision this weekend in any case. Not even the three-step procedure was applied, the Kosovo players left the field without anyone officially asking them to. UEFA appreciated Romania’s plan to combat any kind of incidents, the way Romania appealed to the fans and what happened in the stands. A match cannot be suspended for political chants, but only for racist chants”, sources told GOLAZO.ro.

“Romania risks only a fine, which would be a relatively modest one, while Kosovo could risk a severe sanction. “We risk only a fine, and not a large one. UEFA has absolutely all the images from last night at its disposal, and they are all in Romania’s favor. Several images will also appear in the public space showing the Kosovars inciting, with obscene signs and with the tendency to provoke. Kosovo also risks a points deduction, because an extremely harsh sanction is needed in order not to create a dangerous precedent,” the sources also told GOLAZO.ro.

The Romanian Football Federation thanked the 48,957 fans who were present at the National Arena on Friday night for the match against Kosovo. According to the FRF, the match started at 2 degrees Celsius and ended with a temperature of minus. The Federation also thanked those in the stands for not responding to the challenges from the guests.

“The gesture of the away team, which chose to leave the field without the referee’s consent, refusing to end the match on the field of play, in the spirit of fair play, is regrettable, which reflects a lack of respect not only for football, but also for the profession of a footballer,” said the Romanian Football Federation.