Serbia Ordered to Play Germany Behind Closed Doors After UEFA Sanctions
Serbia will host Germany on November 13 behind closed doors after UEFA ordered the national federation to play its next home match without supporters.
The sanction is part of a wide disciplinary package following racist and discriminatory behaviour by Serbian fans during recent Nations League fixtures. UEFA also imposed a series of fines for offensive messages, a pitch invasion and pyrotechnics.
Quick facts
- Serbia’s November 13 home match against Germany will be played in an empty stadium.
- The federation has been fined €50,000 for racist and discriminatory conduct across the September games against Greece and the Netherlands.
- Further penalties cover inappropriate messages, a pitch invasion and the use of pyrotechnics.
- An away-ticket ban for one future Serbia match has been suspended for a two-year probation period.
- Serbia are bottom of Nations League Group A2 after four straight defeats.
The initial UEFA case covered the matches against Greece on September 24 and the Netherlands three days later. Serbia lost both games 2-1.
Alongside the €50,000 racism and discrimination fine, UEFA issued a €22,500 penalty for messages judged unsuitable for a sporting occasion. A pitch invasion brought a further €15,000 fine, while pyrotechnics resulted in an additional €2,000 punishment.
A separate ruling followed Serbia’s October 4 match against the Netherlands, another 2-1 defeat. UEFA fined the federation €20,000 for further racist and discriminatory behaviour in the stands.
Serbia were also handed a suspended prohibition on selling tickets to their travelling fans for one away fixture. That penalty will remain suspended for two years, while a further €20,000 fine was imposed over another inappropriate message at the game.
The total financial punishment across the cases is €129,500. Serbia must now respond on and off the pitch, with Veljko Paunovic’s side in last place in Group A2 and facing an increasingly serious relegation threat.
Next comes Germany, but Serbia will attempt to halt their four-match losing run without home support in the stadium.
