Romania 2-0 Kosovo: Euro 2024 qualifier suspended for 50 minutes after chanting
- Published
Romania fans held up anti-Kosovan and nationalistic banners during the match in Bucharest
Romania's Euro 2024 qualifier against Kosovo in Bucharest was suspended for 50 minutes after provocative chanting from a section of the home side's fans.
The match was stopped in the 18th minute after some Romania fans chanted "Serbia Serbia" and held up a banner which said "Kosovo is Serbia".
French referee Willy Delajod responded by taking the players off the pitch.
Uefa said the "match resumed after play was suspended due to discriminatory behaviour from some supporters".
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, after years of strained relations between its Serb and mainly Albanian inhabitants.
Many Serbs consider it the birthplace of their nation. But of the 1.8 million people living in Kosovo, 92% are Albanian and only 6% Serb. The rest are Bosniaks, Gorans, Turks and Roma.
Kosovo's independence is recognised by 100 countries, including the United Kingdom, but Romania is among a handful of EU countries which does not.
Romanian supporters also held up a different banner which said "Bessarabia is Romania" in the same part of the ground as the one with the anti-Kosovo message.
Bessarabia, which had been part of Romania from 1918-1940, is divided between Moldova and parts of Ukraine.
Romania won the Group I match 2-0 thanks to late goals from Nicolae Stanciu and Valentin Mihaila after Kosovo's Vedat Muriqi was sent off just before half-time.
Switzerland are top of the group with 14 points from six matches while Romania are second on 12. Kosovo are winless on four points.
French referee Willy Delajod led the players back to the dressing rooms after suspending the match
Riot police attempted to speak with the fans leading the chanting at the National Arena in Bucharest
Romania midfielder Nicolae Stanciu also spoke with Romanian fans after the referee stopped the match
Stanciu, who earlier missed a penalty, went on to score Romania's second goal in the 2-0 win