Sport · Singapore Bureau
Serbia faces stadium ban, hefty fine for fan misconduct
European football's governing body has sanctioned the Serbian Football Association with a 50,000 euro penalty and ordered the nation's next home match to be played behind closed doors following racist and discriminatory behaviour by supporters during recent Nations League fixtures.
LSN Singapore ·
UEFA announced the disciplinary measures on Friday in response to fan conduct during Serbia's Nations League matches against Greece and the Netherlands. The incidents involved racist and discriminatory behaviour from Serbian supporters at both venues, prompting the continental governing body to act.
Under the sanctions, Serbia's Football Association must pay the 50,000 euro fine, equivalent to approximately 56,000 US dollars. The more restrictive penalty requires the nation to play their next home international match with no spectators permitted inside the stadium, effectively staging the fixture behind closed doors.
The move represents UEFA's continued effort to combat discrimination and misconduct in football across its member nations. The governing body has increasingly enforced stricter penalties for supporter misbehaviour, particularly incidents involving racist abuse and other discriminatory acts.
Serbia will need to await confirmation of their next scheduled home fixture to determine when the stadium closure will take effect. The sanctions come as European football authorities intensify their stance on fan behaviour ahead of upcoming international competitions.