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UEFA

Sanctions against Serbia and Albania upheld

Serbia and Albania's appeals against sanctions handed down over their abandoned Euro 2016 qualifier were rejected by Swiss-based UEFA on Tuesday.

Sanctions against Serbia and Albania upheld
UEFA headquarters in Nyon in the canton of Vaud. Photo: UEFA

European football's governing body, headquartered in Nyon in the canton of Vaud, maintained its original decision to award the match 3-0 to Serbia but depriving them of the three points.
   
The October 14th qualifier in Belgrade was halted when irate home fans invaded the pitch and attacked Albania players after a pro-Albanian flag was flown over the stadium by a drone.
   
The match, for which Albanian fans had been barred on UEFA's request, was goalless when it was abandoned in the 41st minute as Albania players fled to the changing rooms with chairs and other paraphernalia being thrown at them.
   
UEFA also confirmed that Serbia would have to play their next two Euro 2016 qualifiers behind closed doors, and upheld the 100,000 euro ($126,000) fines imposed on the two Balkan nations.
   
Tuesday's verdict leaves Albania in third on four points in Group I, with Serbia in fourth with one point.
   
The group is led by Denmark (7 points) and Portugal (6).
   
Relations between Serbs and Albanians are often hostile, due to historical and recent disputes which are stoked by politicians on both sides.
   
A major flashpoint has been Kosovo, the former Serbian province mostly populated by ethnic Albanians.
   
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 after almost a decade under United Nations control, imposed after a NATO bombing campaign to halt a Serbian crackdown on separatists there.
   
Kosovo play friendly matches but is not allowed to take part in international competitions, and several footballers with Kosovar roots have opted to play for Albania.

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FOOTBALL

Disgraced former Uefa boss Platini to Swiss TV: ‘I’ll be back’

Former UEFA president Michel Platini told Swiss television channel RTS on Friday he "will be back" as his ban from football for ethics violations finishes on October 7.

Disgraced former Uefa boss Platini to Swiss TV: 'I'll be back'
Photo: ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI / AFP

Platini, a former France captain, was stopped from partaking in all football-related activities in 2015 for receiving a two-million Swiss franc (1.8 million euros, $2 million) payment from ex-FIFA chief Sepp Blatter, who was suspended for six years.

“I will be back. I don't know where, I don't know how. I can't stay on the suspension, even if it's a suspension made by idiots,” Platini said.

“I was a victim of a form of a plot, yes, totally, between those at FIFA and those at the Swiss public ministry.

“There was an agreement between FIFA and them to sack me. I'm not going to say it was a plot by the Swiss state,” the 64-year-old added.

Football governing bodies have been dogged by corruption claims for over a decade, with the decisions by FIFA to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively coming under significant criticism. 

The decision to award the 2006 World Cup to Germany has also come under fire due to a bribery scandal involving former German national team captain Franz Beckenbauer. 

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