UEFA hammer Serbia with stadium ban and heavy fines following racist crowd abuse

Serbia will play their upcoming home fixture behind closed doors after UEFA imposed severe sanctions on the national football federation. The punishment follows a series of troubling incidents involving their supporters during the latest round of international fixtures.

The Serbian supporters were found guilty of racist and discriminatory behaviour during two Nations League matches in September. These incidents occurred against Greece on September 24 and the Netherlands three days later.

As a direct consequence, the governing body confirmed on Friday that no home fans will be permitted to attend their next clash. Serbia are scheduled to host Germany on November 13 in an empty stadium.

The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has handed down a stringent package of financial penalties to the Serbian federation. A hefty €50,000 fine was issued specifically for the racist and discriminatory actions of the crowd across the two September fixtures.

However, the financial hit does not end there. The Balkan nation was also ordered to pay an additional €22,500 for transmitting messages deemed inappropriate for a sporting event.

Furthermore, a €15,000 fine was imposed following a pitch invasion, alongside a €2,000 penalty for the setting off of pyrotechnics. Serbia went on to lose both of the matches in question by a 2-1 scoreline.

The disciplinary measures extend to a separate case relating to Serbia against the Netherlands on October 4. Despite another 2-1 defeat on the pitch, the behaviour of the supporters in the stands once again caught the attention of the authorities.

UEFA fined the federation an extra €20,000 for further racist and discriminatory behaviour during this fixture. In addition to the financial penalty, a ban on selling tickets to away fans for one upcoming away match was imposed, though this specific sanction has been suspended for a two-year probationary period.

An additional €20,000 penalty was also added to their growing list of sanctions. This was once again handed down for transmitting a message deemed entirely inappropriate for a sports event.

The off-field controversies compound what has already been a disastrous Nations League campaign for the Serbian national side. Manager Veljko Paunovic finds himself under immense pressure as positive results continue to evade his struggling squad.

Following four consecutive defeats, Serbia currently sit rock bottom of Nations League Group A2. Their hopes of avoiding relegation from their tier of the competition are rapidly fading.

They must now prepare to face Germany on November 13 without the backing of their home support. It remains to be seen how the team will respond to the empty stands and the lingering shadow of these severe UEFA punishments.