Serbia Threatens to Withdraw from Euros
"What happened is scandalous," says the Serbian Football Association, warning that they could withdraw from the competition.
Jovan Surbatovic, Secretary General of the Serbian Football Association, threatened on Thursday to withdraw their national team from the Euro Cup due to chants heard from a section of fans during the Croatia vs. Albania match, where they chanted "kill the Serbs."
In remarks to RTS, Serbia's state broadcaster, Surbatovic called on UEFA to impose a "severe" punishment on the Croatian and Albanian football federations, or else Serbia would take action.
"What happened is scandalous, and we will ask UEFA for sanctions, even if it means not continuing in the competition. We will demand that UEFA punish both federations. If UEFA does not penalize them, we will consider our next steps," Surbatovic said.
Serbia has already been fined $16,800 by UEFA after their fans threw objects during a match against England. Additionally, both Serbia and Albania have faced sanctions in the past due to nationalist banners displayed by fans of both teams.
"We were penalized for isolated incidents, and our fans behaved much better than others. One fan was punished for racist insults, and we do not want others to be blamed for that. Serbs are gentlemen and have open hearts, so I ask fans to continue being gentlemen," Surbatovic concluded.