The possibility of withdrawing the Serbian national team from the European football championship in the absence of a reaction from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to the scandalous behavior of the fans of the Albanian and Croatian national teams was admitted by the Secretary General of Serbian Football Union Jovan Šurbatović on June 20 in a comment to the Serbian publication RTS.
The reason for Shurbatovich’s statement was the match between the Albanian and Croatian national teams, during which chants calling for the murder of the Serbs were heard in the stands of the Hamburg stadium.
“What happened is scandalous and we will ask UEFA for sanctions, even if that means suspending participation in the competition. “We are sure that they will be punished because UEFA has already responded to our call to exclude the so-called Albanian journalist from the Euro.”– said Shurbatovich.
According to the official, Serbia will demand that UEFA punish the Croatian and Albanian federations. The future actions of the Serbian team in relation to participation in the tournament will depend on UEFA’s response to this demand.
The football match of the group stage of Euro 2024 between the national teams of Albania and Croatia was played on June 19 and ended in a 2:2 draw.
Let us remember that previously the Albanian journalist Arlind Sadiku was suspended from his work at Euro 2024 for provocative gestures towards Serbian fans. Thus, during the match between the Serbian and England teams, Sadiku represented with his hands the double-headed eagle, present in the symbols of Albania, as well as the Republic of Kosovo, not recognized by Russia.
After the corresponding appeal by the Serbian Football Union to UEFA, the journalist was deprived of his accreditation for the tournament for “inappropriate behavior.”
Source: Rossa Primavera
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