June 5 – Serbia’s first division promotion playoff between Rad Belgrade and Metalac Gornji Milanovac was abandoned on Wednesday after a fan set off a tear gas canister and forced the players to leave the pitch.
Players covered their faces with jerseys and fans rushed out of Rad’s dilapidated ground early in the second half. The home side returned after a 10-minute delay but the visitors remained in their dressing-room and refused to carry on. An early Ognjen Ozegovic goal had put Rad ahead after a goalless first leg at Metalac.
“We will not be ready for a replay or a continuation within the next 24 hours because the game was not abandoned over natural causes such as bad weather, while four of our players had to be taken to hospital,” Metalac president Dragoljub Vukadinovic told Belgrade media.
Serbian football at both club and national level continues to be marred by unrest despite UEFA’s occasional intervention. “We are really distraught with what happened and hope that the tie will end in the best possible way,” said Rad president Vladimir Savic.
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