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UEFA give Serbia 3-0 win over Albania but deduct the three points following violence
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UEFA has announced that Serbia have been awarded a 3-0 win over Albania for their abandoned Euro 2016 qualifier, but have also been deducted three points.
The match was called off after a drone landed on the pitch, carrying an Albanian flag. A Serbian player ripped the flag down, causing several Albanian players to confront him.
Several skirmishes then broke out on the pitch as Serbian fans invaded the pitch to attack the Albanian players, who were also pelted with missiles as they tried to leave the pitch.
The flag, which depicted 'Greater Albania', is in reference to the disputed territory of Kosovo, which is largely populated by Albanians, but is not recognised by Serbia as an independent state, a cause of long standing political tensions between the two nations.
In a statement on UEFA's website, the governing body stated that The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) had convened to assess the incidents that occurred.
Their ruling was that the match has been forfeited, and "As a consequence, the Football Association of Albania (FShF) is deemed to have lost the game 3-0. In addition, the FShF has been fined €100,000."
"The CEDB has also decided to deduct the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) three points for the current UEFA European Championship qualifying competition."
"In addition, the FSS has been ordered to play its next two UEFA competition matches as host team behind closed doors. Finally, the association has been fined €100,000."
The stadium ban for Serbia applies to their next two qualifiers against Armenia and Denmark.