England opponents threaten to quit Euro 2024 with UEFA urged to ‘punish’ two nations
Serbia players in action against England
The Serbian Football Association has urged UEFA to take action against Croatia and Albania after fans of both nations chanted ‘kill, kill, kill the Serb’ during their Group B match on Wednesday.
Croatia and Albania played out a dramatic 2-2 draw in Hamburg on Wednesday afternoon.
Klaus Gjasula rescued a point for the Albanians in the sixth minute of stoppage time after Croatia came from behind to lead 2-1 thanks to two goals in as many minutes.
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Unfortunately for both teams, whose qualification hopes hang by a thread, the match was marred by anti-Serbia chanting from both sets of supporters.
England rivals Serbia threaten to quit Euro 2024
Jovan Surbatovic, the General Secretary of Serbian Football Association (FSS), wants UEFA to ‘punish’ Croatia and Albania, with Serbia pulling out of Euro 2024 a possibility if they do not.
“First of all, I want to thank our fans for their support in the match against England and I hope we will beat Slovenia,” Surbatovic said.
“What happened is scandalous and we will ask UEFA for sanctions, even if it means not continuing the competition.
“We are sure that they will be punished, because they have already responded to our appeal to remove the so-called journalist from Albania from the championship. We will demand from UEFA to punish the federations of both selections.
“We do not want to participate in that, but if UEFA does not punish them, we will think how will we proceed.”
The Serbian FA were fined €14,500 (£12,200) after their fans threw objects onto the pitch during the 1-0 defeat to England on Sunday.
“We were punished for isolated cases and our fans behaved much better than the others,’ Surbatovic said.
“One fan was punished for racist insults and we don’t want it to be attributed to others.
“We Serbs are gentlemen and we have an open heart, so I appeal to the fans to remain gentlemen.”
Serbia take on Slovenia on Thursday afternoon in their second Group C match before England face Denmark in Frankfurt.
Group C concludes next Tuesday when England play Slovenia and Serbia take on the Danes.
A win for the Three Lions on Thursday will secure their place in the last 16 of the tournament and Bukayo Saka believes “everything is possible” for this group of players.
“Everything is possible with that,” the Arsenal star told ITV Sport when asked what England can achieve with himself, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane in Gareth Southgate’s attack.
“He (Bellingham) since he was 17 he was always so mature, he always knew how to carry himself on and off the pitch.
“What he has done this season has been special so I was a bit taken aback, 20 years old going to Real Madrid and doing what he has done, it is unbelievable but it is no surprise when you know him as a person.”
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