UEFA gives bans, fines to Serbia over U21 brawl

Danny Rose of England and Sasa Markovic of Serbia are separated during their Euro U21 match in October.

Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images

UEFA imposed heavy sanctions on Serbia on Thursday for an on-pitch brawl and its fans' racial abuse of England players at an ill-tempered under-21s match.

Two Serbia coaches have been banned from football for two years while four Serbia players will also serve suspensions over the scuffles that broke out at the end of the European Championship qualifier in Krusevac in Oct. 16

UEFA fined the Serbian federation ?80,000 and the under-21 team will have to play a match behind closed doors over "a number of incidents,'' including the brawl and racial abuse directed at black England players during the match.

England, which won the match 1-0 to qualify for the Euro 2013 in June, had also been charged with "improper conduct'', but was only issued with a warning while two of its players were given suspensions.

The heaviest sanctions are for Serbia fitness coach Andreja Milunovic and assistant coach Predrag Katic. The second year of Milunovic's ban and the final six months of Katic's ban are suspended for three years.

Four Serbia players were given international bans: Goran Causic for four games, Ognjen Mudrinski and Filip Malbasic for three games and Nikola Ninkovic for two matches.

The two banned England players are defender Steven Caulker (two matches) and midfielder Thomas Ince (one match), sanctions that will take effect at the finals next June.

Appeals for all the punishments can be lodged within three days of the written reasons being received.