Serbia accuse Italian federation over fan violence

The Serbian Football Federation (FSS) on Friday claimed their Italian counterparts were responsible for the crowd disorder that caused the abandonment of Tuesday’s Euro 2012 qualifier between the countries.

Kick-off in the Group C game in Genoa was delayed by half an hour due to crowd trouble among the away fans and play was abandoned after just six minutes due to Serbian fans throwing flares onto the pitch and at rival Italy supporters.

Sixteen people were hospitalised, two with serious injuries, after Serbian fans then clashed with Italian police, while at least 17 Serbian supporters were arrested.

Serbian police also arrested 35 away fans when they returned from Italy.

“The first conclusion is that the Italian Football Federation is responsible for the organisation of the match,” said FSS president Tomislav Karadzic, who was presenting a report into the disturbances by his organisation’s security commission.

“We had information that the supporters were planning to cause trouble… and we informed UEFA and, naturally, the Italian Football Federation.”

Karadzic announced that an FSS delegation would visit UEFA headquarters on October 18 to state their case.

“We’ll inform UEFA and its president Michel Platini about all the details,” said Karadzic, who warned, however, that “we shouldn’t be too optimistic” about the outcome of the meeting.

UEFA had on Wednesday ordered a “full and thorough” investigation into the incidents, with the disciplinary arm of European football’s governing body to review the case when it meets on October 28.

Once the evidence has been gathered, including the referee and match delegate’s reports, the case would be put to UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body “for further review and possible sanctions”.

“The sanctions that are available to the Control and Disciplinary Body can be found in the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations… and range from a reprimand or fine, up to a stadium closure or ‘disqualification from competitions in progress and/or exclusion from future competitions’,” UEFA said in a statement.

However, it is not just Serbia who face possible sanctions as UEFA spokesman Rob Faulkner told Italian agency ANSA that the governing body would also be investigating the host country’s provisions for maintaining order.

“We can’t yet say anything with relation to the investigation which will be carried out by the Disciplinary Commission but I remind you that our regulations provide not only for a sanction against premeditated actions by either set of fans but also a co-responsibility of the host federation for not having adequately guaranteed public order,” he said.