By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – A UEFA disciplinary hearing into the racist chanting and post-match melee that marred last month’s explosive European under-21 fixture between Serbia and England, due to be held today, has been postponed until mid-December.
European football’s governing body said any sanctions had been put off for three weeks to allow for further investigations.
The Football Association of Serbia (FSS) has denied claims of racist chanting by their fans, while both federations have been brought to task over the behaviour of their respective players at the end of the game, which England won 1-0 for a 2-0 aggregate victory to qualify for next year’s UEFA Under-21 European Championship finals.
“The control and disciplinary body decided to postpone the U-21 Serbia-England disciplinary case until its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday 13th December 2012, to allow for further investigations,” UEFA said in a statement.
Violence flared at the final whistle in Kruševac after England defender Danny Rose was sent off after the final whistle for kicking the ball into the crowd in protest at being abused from the stands.
The FSS has already banned two of its players, Nikola Ninković (pictured above, right) and Ognjen Mudrinski, from playing for their country for a year.
Coaches Srđan Maksimović and Andreja Milutinović were handed two-year suspensions.
England players Steven Caulker and Tom Lees, plus assistant coach Steve Wigley, were among 11 people handed criminal charges by Serbian police.
British Prime Minister David Cameron demanded UEFA impose “tough sanctions” on racism, while on Tuesday (November 20) this week the case was discussed by Sports Minister Hugh Robertson and English Football Association (FA) chairman David Bernstein during a visit to UEFA President Michel Platini’s office.
It is not known, however, to what extent, if any, those talks contributed to today’s postponement since Platini is not a member of the disciplinary panel.
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