Serbia “shamed” by fans behaviour

Serbian football was hanging its head in shame after their Euro 2012 qualifier against Italy was abandoned due to crowd violence.

Only six minutes were played before Italy goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano was sent running for cover as a flare thrown from Serbia fans appeared to hit him.

Other flares and bangers were thrown onto the pitch and at rival Italy fans while some Serb hooligans tried to attack Italy supporters.

Following lengthy discussions between UEFA, Italian and Serbian delegates, referee Craig Thomson from Scotland called off the game in Genoa, leaving Serbian media with red faces.

“This is shameful for Serbia and shameful for Serbian football,” said Serbian TV station RTS after the game.

Serbian FA president Tomislav Karadzic said the government must act to stamp out such incidents in the future.

“It’s scandalous, those who organised these incidents are in Belgrade,” he said.

“It’s an attack against the state and the state must resolve this problem.”

There was more than just the violence and problems inside the stadium as trouble began as Serbia players left their team hotel.

First choice goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic was attacked by his own fans who threw a flare onto the team bus, hitting him.

He was taken to hospital, although he did not suffer serious injury, and later sheltered inside the Italy changing room while refusing to play.

It all left Italy coach Cesare Prandelli somewhat dumbfounded.

“What can I say, there’s great disappointment and bitterness, especially for the many children who were enthusiastically hoping for a great game,” he said.

“We couldn’t predict this situation, it’s very disappointing.

“It seemed organised, listening to the Serbian players it turns out their team coach was attacked.

“Before the game the Serbian goalkeeper (Stojkovic) was in our dressing room and wasn’t just afraid to play he was also afraid for his return home, he didn’t understand anything.

“The Serbian players felt these fans were doing everything they could to stop the match being played.”

Following the incidents on the pitch, Viviano said he wasn’t prepared to continue.

“It was impossible to play in that goal, I would have had to keep turning around to avoid the flares,” he said.

“Honestly, I don’t like the idea of getting hit in the head by a flare.”

The problems had been going on since Serbia fans started arriving in the town earlier in the day.

Some fans had attacked a police car, forcing police to move in and act while there was the attack on Stojkovic outside the team hotel.

Italian security chief Roberto Massucci said the Italian police had preferred to shepherd the fans to the stadium where they felt they would be better equiped to deal with problems than in the city centre.

“As before every game we had contact with the police from the other country and we had no information that suggested there would be people of such a high risk,” he said.

“There was already a problem with the behaviour of certain people in the city centre in the afternoon but we preferred to let them go to the stadium where it would be easier to control them.

“However, as soon as they entered the stadium they tried attacking people.” The match was delayed 35 minutes before kick-off due to flares and bangers being thrown at Italian fans while some Serbs were seen trying to kick down a door that separated the two sets of supporters.

The players were waiting for their national anthems when they were sent back into the changing rooms.

Although the game eventually did go ahead, with riot police standing between rival fans, it did not last long.