As you all know by now, Tuesday’s Euro 2012 qualifier between Italy and Serbia was suspended because of fan trouble. However, the man responsible for the melee has come out to say that he has nothing against Italy.
Ivan Bogdanov has come out to say that his protests were not aimed at Italy. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia Ivan said that he is only a patriot.
“I have a military past in Serbia,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“I love my country. I have nothing against Italy, I have it with my team.”
UEFA has opened investigations into the incident and will decide on the next course of action. Meanwhile, Ivan who was arrested faces charges of aggravated damage, resisting arrest and a host of other laws relating to public order offenses.
UEFA has not said when the match will be replayed but it is believed that once the dossier is complete the matter will be put before the independent UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body for further review and possible sanctions.
The possible punishment could be disqualification from competitions in progress and/or exclusion from future competitions. The meeting to decide on this is scheduled for Thursday 28th October.
Fan trouble is not a new phenomenon in Europe however, it is more common in league fixtures. With this latest revelations, UEFA is bound to give a harsh punishment to send out a clear message to other participating countries.
Photo credit: from GalatasarayX
