Serbian FA waive right to appeal riot verdict
Reuters - Friday 12 November 2010, 14:45
BELGRADE, Nov 12 (Reuters) - The Serbian Football
Association (FSS) has waived its right to appeal against UEFA's
punishment over the national team's abandoned Euro 2012
qualifier away to Italy last month.
"The Football Association of Serbia has decided to accept
the punitive measures passed by UEFA after the FSS top officials
and the body's legal team assessed that an appeal would not have
positive effects," the FSS said in a statement on Friday.
The FSS decision is a U-turn after its president Tomislav
Karadzic had said the body would appeal and ask for a replay
following UEFA's verdict on October 29.
Italy were awarded a 3-0 win after visiting Serbian fans
rioted before, during and after the Group C qualifier in Genoa
on October 12, having forced the game to be abandoned after only
six minutes.
They threw flares at home fans and supporters straight after
the kickoff, while they also attacked their own team bus before
the match and clashed with riot police outside the Luigi
Ferraris stadium after the game was abandoned.
Serbia were also ordered to play their next home match
against Northern Ireland behind closed doors on March 25 and
fined 120,000 euros.
In addition, they were told they would be forced to play
another home game with no fans if there was any comparable
incident in the next two years and ordered to refrain from
allocating tickets for their remaining away qualifiers.
Italy were fined 100,000 euros and handed a suspended
sentence of a one-match crowd ban for a period of two years.
Italy lead the group with 10 points from four games,
followed by Slovenia on seven and Estonia on six points from
four matches. Northern Ireland have five points from three
matches and Serbia four points from as many games.
The nine group winners and the best second-placed teams will
qualify automatically for the 16-team event in Poland and
Ukraine while the remaining eight runners-up will contest the
other four berths in a two-legged play-off.