May 6 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has sided with UEFA and the Romanian Football Federation (RFF) in a ruling that upholds Kosovo’s forfeiture of a UEFA Nations League fixture marred by fan misconduct and political tension.
The disputed match, played on November 15 2024, was abandoned after Kosovo’s players left the field in protest at hostile chants from Romanian supporters. UEFA’s Appeals Body later ruled the game a forfeit against Kosovo and fined the Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) €6,000. The FFK challenged that decision at CAS, seeking to shift responsibility to the RFF and annul the sanction.
However, following a hearing in Lausanne on 2March 24 2025, CAS concluded that while the chants – deemed racist and politically provocative – were serious enough to warrant separate punishment, they did not justify Kosovo’s unilateral withdrawal from the match. According to the ruling, the players ignored the referee’s instruction to continue, and it was this refusal that led to the game’s abandonment – not a formal suspension by match officials.
CAS acknowledged the “unacceptable” nature of the abuse faced by the Kosovo squad but maintained that only the referee has the authority to call off a match. In the absence of such a decision, Kosovo’s walk-off was deemed a breach of protocol.
The decision leaves the FFK bearing the blame for the incomplete match, while Romania avoids a forfeiture. This comes despite a prior CAS judgment in February that confirmed UEFA’s €128,000 in fines against the RFF for the conduct of its fans, including racist behaviour and political messaging.
The back-to-back CAS rulings draw a clear line: while UEFA won’t ignore serious crowd misconduct, abandoning matches without official sanction still carries consequences – no matter the provocation.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1746542321labto1746542321ofdlr1746542321owedi1746542321sni@g1746542321niwe.1746542321yrrah1746542321