Football
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UEFA stands by decision to allow Serbia and Albania to face each other

UEFA has defended its decision not to keep Serbia and Albania apart for the Euro 2016 qualification campaign, saying "there was no clear reason" to do so.

Tuesday's clash between the two nations was abandoned after descending into violence on the pitch, with UEFA having since announced it is to open disciplinary proceedings against both football associations.

Given the tense history and ongoing tensions between Serbia and Albania, who both dispute the territory of Kosovo, many felt they should have been separated when the draw for the qualifying process was made. 

UEFA decided to keep Armenia and Azerbaijan apart for the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign due to a territorial dispute between the two nations, while Gibraltar and Spain, as well as Russia and Georgia, were also separated for the current campaign due to political differences.

However, a spokesman for European football's governing body said Serbia and Albania did not need to be kept apart in the draw, while neither nation had made such a request.

"The match is then analysed by UEFA's international committee. When the draw was made there was no negative reaction from either side at the time. But both associations agreed not to take their own supporters to away matches," the spokesman said in quotes reported by The Guardian.

"UEFA fully supported this move. All the conditions were met at the time. There was no clear reason why these teams should be kept apart."

The spokesman said the criteria used to determine whether two nations should be kept apart are whether they have normal diplomatic relations, whether there is an ongoing military or armed conflict and whether there has been a request made by either to be kept apart.

According to UEFA, Serbia and Albania have normal diplomatic relations, are not engaged in an armed conflict and had not requested to be kept apart.

While there was no request to be kept apart, Albania's association did not make tickets available for its travelling supporters, while away fans attempting to enter the stadium in Belgrade could have been arrested by Serbian police if they had been carrying Albanian symbols.

The Serbian FA said their team acted with restraint despite being provoked by the "offensive'' flag and were then attacked when they tried to remove it from the field.

In a 1,500-word statement, the Football Association of Serbia said Albania's reaction to the controversy had been "scandalous'' and suggested it had been a "scenario of a terrorist action planned in advance."

The statement said: "Serbian player Stefan Mitrovic managed to catch the flag and, as it can be clearly seen on all the footages, started to fold it as calmly as possible, in order to give it to the fourth official and for the match to be continued. Absolutely all of the Serbian players and officials on the bench were in their seats, calm and without any attempt to show force or rage because of the incident. However, Albanian players acted very aggressively and physically attacked Mitrovic.

"For the truth and justice we will not and do not want to allow the perpetrators who violated football to present themselves as victims.''

The statement said the Serbian FA had then asked UEFA to finish the match after emptying the stadium or to replay it this week but the Albanian FA refused.

It adds: "According to that, we estimate that they are directly guilty for the match abandonment and we expect that UEFA disciplinary bodies will register the match with 3-0 result, in favour of Serbia.

"It is a scandalous fact that the other party, with their 'job well done' is ridiculing not only FA of Serbia and Serbian people but also, we dare to say, UEFA.''

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