UEFA proposes tougher sanctions on Serbia

Serbia U21 v England U21 in October, 2012 in Krusevac turned out to be a nasty one which saw home fans accused of racially abusing English players and a large-scale fight broke out between the two teams.

Jean-Samuel Leuba, UEFA disciplinary inspector, has proposed harsher penalties for the Serbian Football Association (FSS) because of what happened during the Under-21 side’s play-off with England in October.

FSS would be fined 80,000 euros and the Under 21′s will have to play one match behind closed doors. The game in Krusevac turned out to be a nasty one which saw home fans accused of racially abusing English players and a large-scale fight broke out between the two teams.

Serbian players Goran Causic, Ognjen Mudrinski, Filip Malbasic and Nikola Ninkovic were suspended and fitness coach Andreja Milunovic and assistant coach Predrag Katic were banned from all football-related activities for two years. England Under-21 players Steven Caulker and Thomas Ince also received suspensions for their part in the brawl that took place.

UEFA was criticized for the punishments given as they were considered very light.

Reports say that the revised penalties imposed upon are as follows -

1. The Serbia Under-21 side to be banned from the next cycle of competition.

2. The FSS fine to be increased to €200,000.

3. To ban fitness coach Andreja Milunovic from all football-related activities for a fixed term of five years, with a request for FIFA to extend the ban to cover worldwide competitions.

4. To increase Nikola Ninkovic’s suspension from two games to three.

FSS is given time till the end of January to appeal for the penalties. However, FSS general secretary Zoran Lakovic has said that they have no plans to appeal.

“We are disappointed because we didn’t expect Leuba to change his initial stance on the punishments,” Lakovic added.