Belgrade will host Germany behind closed doors on 13 November after UEFA imposed a series of sanctions on the Serbian Football Association following racist and discriminatory conduct by supporters during recent Nations League fixtures.
The news from the club
Serbia’s next home international, against Germany, must be played without spectators. UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body also handed the federation a €50,000 fine in relation to incidents during the matches against Greece on 24 September and the Netherlands three days later.
Those two Nations League games both ended in 2-1 defeats for Serbia. Further penalties from the same cases include €22,500 for displaying messages deemed inappropriate for a sporting event, €2,000 for pyrotechnics and €15,000 after spectators entered the pitch.
A separate disciplinary case arose from Serbia’s 2-1 loss to the Netherlands on 4 October. UEFA fined the federation another €20,000 for racist and discriminatory behaviour, while ordering a one-match ban on the sale of away tickets to Serbian supporters.
That travelling-support restriction has been suspended for two years. Serbia were also fined €20,000 for another inappropriate message displayed during the Netherlands match.
Nations League position
Veljko Paunovic’s side sit bottom of Nations League Group A2 after losing each of their opening four matches. The November meeting with Germany will therefore arrive in a silent home stadium, with Serbia seeking both points and a response after a difficult opening stretch of the campaign.
