Romanian Football Federation (FRF): UEFA decided last year that the slogan "Kosovo is Serbia" is not racist

The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) issued a statement today expressing its deepest disappointment with the behavior of the Kosovo delegation and its players during the recent UEFA Nations League match. The statement also reminds that UEFA ruled last year that the slogan "Kosovo is Serbia" cannot be classified as racist.

The FRF highlighted in its statement that "the actions of the Kosovo delegation were premeditated."

"We consider the accusations from the Kosovo side to be unfounded and firmly believe that their actions were premeditated. Nevertheless, we thank the 50,000 Romanian fans present at the stadium for maintaining a civilized attitude and for restraining themselves as much as possible in the face of provocations from Kosovo players," the statement read.

The FRF emphasized that there were no racist chants during the match.

"At no point was the slogan 'Kosovo is Serbia' chanted. Moreover, we would like to remind everyone of UEFA's Disciplinary Commission decision regarding a similar incident last year, in which Kosovo acted in the same manner. The decision clearly stated that the slogan 'Kosovo is Serbia' cannot be classified as racist and, therefore, cannot trigger the three-step protocol. This point was reiterated by the UEFA delegate during the technical meeting prior to the recent match.

We find it regrettable that a national football team would decide to leave the field and retreat to the locker room just two minutes before the final whistle, particularly given the unfavorable scoreline. This action demonstrates a lack of respect for the sport and a complete disregard for fair play," the statement added.

The FRF also denied allegations of an incident during the post-match press conference.

"We categorically deny that any such incident occurred. No FRF official was involved, and, in fact, it was the Kosovo delegation that initiated a confrontation with Romanian journalists. FRF firmly believes that football embodies values that positively influence society and has the power to set an example for future generations. Unfortunately, the behavior of the Kosovo delegation, especially its players, in Bucharest serves as an example of 'how not to act' in professional sports.

We await UEFA's decision on this matter. However, considering Kosovo's refusal to finish the match on the field and their retreat to the locker room without the referee's approval, there can be only one outcome consistent with the principles of the game," the statement concluded.