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.
Line-ups
Romania
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 12Moldovan
- 2Ratiu
- 3Dragusin
- 15BurcaBooked at 9minsSubstituted forMarinat 63′minutes
- 11BancuBooked at 52mins
- 5Screciu
- 14HagiSubstituted forMorutanat 72′minutes
- 10Stanciu
- 8CicâldauSubstituted forOlaruat 77′minutes
- 20ComanSubstituted forMihailaat 71′minutes
- 9PuscasBooked at 33minsSubstituted forAlibecat 45′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Târnovanu
- 4Rus
- 6Marin
- 7Alibec
- 13Mihaila
- 16Aioani
- 17Bîrligea
- 18Marin
- 19Olaru
- 21Morutan
- 22Camora
- 23Sorescu
Kosovo
Formation 4-4-2
- 12Muric
- 15VojvodaBooked at 52minsSubstituted forBekaat 81′minutes
- 13RrahmaniBooked at 33mins
- 3Aliti
- 17Paqarada
- 10ZhegrovaSubstituted forDresevicat 64′minutes
- 14BerishaSubstituted forMuslijaat 54′minutes
- 19LoshajBooked at 58mins
- 23BerishaBooked at 14minsSubstituted forRrahmaniat 82′minutes
- 7RashicaSubstituted forHadërgjonajat 54′minutes
- 18MuriqiBooked at 42mins
Substitutes
- 1Ujkani
- 2Hadërgjonaj
- 4Beka
- 5Fazliji
- 6Hajrizi
- 8Muslija
- 9Korenica
- 11Rrahmani
- 16Bekaj
- 20Dresevic
- 21Zeqiri
- 22Krasniqi
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Romania 2, Kosovo 0.
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Second Half ends, Romania 2, Kosovo 0.
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Radu Dragusin (Romania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Albion Rrahmani (Kosovo).
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Corner, Romania. Conceded by Florian Loshaj.
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Attempt blocked. Denis Alibec (Romania) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Attempt blocked. Nicolae Stanciu (Romania) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Darius Olaru.
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Goal! Romania 2, Kosovo 0. Valentin Mihaila (Romania) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Andrei Ratiu.
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Vladimir Screciu (Romania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Amir Rrahmani (Kosovo).
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Attempt blocked. Nicolae Stanciu (Romania) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Valentin Mihaila.
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Attempt missed. Florent Muslija (Kosovo) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ibrahim Dresevic.
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Attempt saved. Denis Alibec (Romania) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Olimpiu Morutan.
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Corner, Romania. Conceded by Arijanet Muric.
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Attempt saved. Olimpiu Morutan (Romania) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Nicolae Stanciu.
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Offside, Romania. Darius Olaru tries a through ball, but Denis Alibec is caught offside.
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Corner, Kosovo. Conceded by Vladimir Screciu.
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Attempt blocked. Ibrahim Dresevic (Kosovo) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
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Attempt saved. Florian Loshaj (Kosovo) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Florent Muslija.
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Goal! Romania 1, Kosovo 0. Nicolae Stanciu (Romania) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
