'UEFA initiates proceedings against Kosovo for booing Israel national anthem'

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - UEFA, the governing body of European football initiated proceedings against Kosovo Football Federation due to booing and whistling during the national anthem of Israel on Sunday, reports local media.

Kosovo beat Israel 1-0 on Sunday in a rearranged Group I qualifying match to seal a spot at UEFA EURO 2024.

The match was played under extraordinary security measures at Fadil Vokrri Stadium in the capital Pristina.

Kosovo fans booed Israel's national anthem during the pre-match ceremony.

Pristina based Kosdata portal reported that Football Federation may face the consequences of the fans behavior.

''Proceedings have been opened for disturbances during the national anthems,'' cities local Albanian media.

The UEFA's control, ethics and disciplinary body is expected to deal with the case.

A series of social media posts called for the match to be cancelled after messages criticizing Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

Each of the 14,000 tickets released for the match were personalized, and only fans that presented both the tickets and their ID cards were allowed into the stadium.

The Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) admitted that they considered holding the game in an empty stadium due to security reasons.