Romania won 3-0, on the “green table”, the match with Kosovo, after the guests left the field in extra time of the League of Nations match. However, following the incidents, UEFA also imposed heavy penalties for the tricolor side: 130,000 fine for FRF, but also playing a match behind closed doors, the first of the qualifications for the 2026 World Cup.
Mircea Lucescu, dissatisfied with UEFA’s decision. Sportpictures photo
The decision displeased both the Kosovo federation, which announced that it would challenge UEFA’s decision at the CAS, and Sweden, which will support the Serbian province’s approach. The Nordics are angry that the 3-0 victory for the “tricolors” could jeopardize their chances of playing in the qualification play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
Sweden, with 16 points, was overtaken by Romania, following UEFA’s decision. With equal points, the Nordics would have been ahead of the tricolors, with a goal difference. At stake is a place in the play-off for the 2026 World Cup, with the higher-ranked team having the chance to clinch that play-off if they are not among the top two teams in their group in the qualifiers.
“We are aware of the appeal submitted by Kosovo. We are following the case and are in permanent contact with the Kosovar Football Federation. We believe that matches should be decided on the pitch,” said Kim Kallstrom, technical director of the Swedish Football Association. The FSF explained why it is on the side of the Serbian province: “It’s not a call in favor of the people of Kosovo, it’s a fight against racism and discrimination in football”.
Mircea Lucescu: Everyone strikes in Romania
“What is happening is inadmissible, everyone is hitting in the Romanian national team! I have no words… Now I see that he has a problem with us and Sweden. It’s totally disrespectful, I don’t want to use harsher words… Everyone waiting for us at the turnto beat us in the head, without any fair play.
Don’t you see Sweden’s position now? What claims does he have?! What do you mean? It’s not fair, because it’s the boys’ work, it’s our work, it’s work that we put in one hundred percent on the field, with talent and sacrifice. I think we have to go to CAS and challenge UEFA’s decision! That’s normal, let’s defend our rights to the end and we have to do it strongly, exclaimed Mircea Lucescu, for Fanatik.
Too little support from Romania
The selector is also disappointed by the reaction of the Romanian side: “I would like there to be more voices from the country, even political, institutional voices, from Romania’s leaders, to defend us. Because you see what is happening, they started at the state level to attack us, at the level of presidents, at the level of ministers. And it’s not okay, because nothing happened in Bucharest, neither racist nor xenophobic.
It is unbelievable that we will play a match without spectators. Do you realize, let’s deprive the Romanian fans of the show, of supporting the national team, when practically nothing happened, when in fact we are the victims?! That’s not fair at all! I am not talking about the financial part anymore… It is a loss of approximately one million euros for the Romanian Federation. Fines of 130,000 euros, plus I don’t know yet, 400, 500, 600 thousand euros, what would have been the proceeds for the Federation. Total, if you do the math, we reach a million euros.
We are paying for the flight of the Kosovars
Such a thing is not possible! It’s unfair to play without spectators, we can’t be punished in this way, we, the ones who have been hit and wronged, can’t end up paying for the pots broken by others. Who also ran off the field and hid in the changing rooms…
We have to go to the CAS, appeal, because it is a decision that has nothing in common with reality. It would be a dangerous precedent, from now on anyone can leave the field if they don’t like the score. It is a decision that gives water to the mill for others, the example of Sweden… It is inadmissible what the Swedes are doing. They all want to steal our work!”, said Mircea Lucescu for Fanatik.
