The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) expresses its deepest disappointment regarding the behavior of the Kosovo delegation and its players during the recent Nations League match.
We consider the accusations made by the Kosovo side to be unfounded and firmly believe that their actions were premeditated. Despite this, the FRF extends its gratitude to the almost 50.000 Romanian fans present at the stadium for maintaining a civilized attitude and for refraining, as much as possible, from reacting to the provocations of the Kosovo players.
It is important to emphasize that there were no racist chants during the match, nor was the slogan “Kosovo is Serbia” chanted even once. Moreover, we would like to remind everyone of the decision made by UEFA’s Disciplinary Committee regarding a similar incident during a match last year, where Kosovo acted in the same manner. The decision clearly stated that the slogan “Kosovo is Serbia” cannot be classified as racist and, therefore, cannot trigger the three-step procedure. This point was also reiterated by the UEFA delegate during the technical meeting prior to the last evening match.
We find it regrettable that a football team would choose to leave the pitch and retreat to the locker room just two minutes before the final whistle, given that the result was not favorable to it. This action demonstrates a lack of respect for the sport and a complete disregard for fair play.
Regarding the alleged incident at the post-match press conference mentioned by the Kosovo Football Federation, we categorically deny its occurrence. No FRF officials were involved, and it was, in fact, the Kosovo delegation that initiated a confrontation with Romanian journalists.
The FRF strongly believes that football carries values that positively influence society and has the power to set examples for future generations. Unfortunately, the behavior of the Kosovo delegation, and specially its players, in Bucharest serves as an example of “how not to act” in professional sports.
We await UEFA’s decision on the matter. However, given Kosovo’s refusal to complete the match on the field and their departure to the locker room without the referee’s approval, there can only be one outcome aligned with the principles of the game.
