Kosovo players abandon match after crowd in Romania shouts 'Serbia'

A Nations League game between Romania and Kosovo in Bucharest was abandoned on Friday in injury time after fans in the crowd shouted "Serbia!".

The Kosovo players left the pitch after the chants, leading to the game to be paused with the score 0-0.

The Romanian players stayed on the field but the Kosovo team never returned, with the referee blowing the final whistle more than 30 minutes later as the match was abandoned.

"The UEFA Nations League match between Romania and Kosovo has been abandoned. UEFA will communicate further information in due course," said governing body UEFA on its website.

Animosity between Kosovo and Serbia has persisted since the war between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in the late 1990s.

Kosovo and Serbia do not play each other in UEFA and FIFA tournaments.

Football's world governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against Serbia during the 2022 World Cup after the team hung a flag in their changing room depicting Kosovo as part of Serbia.

Kosovo joined FIFA and European confederation UEFA in 2016.

When Romania played in Pristina, they beat Kosovo 3-0.