Serbian Ultras Stormed Own Team's Training Session Ahead of England Clash
Serbia’s ultras are some of the most fearsome in Europe, and they previously stormed their own team’s training session ahead of their Euro 2024 clash against England.
Thomas Tuchel’s England side currently boasts a perfect record in World Cup qualifying ahead of their clash against Serbia in Belgrade.
In March, the Three Lions defeated Albania and Latvia before going on to win away against Andorra in June.
Then on Saturday (September 7), Tuchel’s England played host to Andorra at Villa Park and ran out 2-0 winners in a relatively uneventful affair.
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However, the clash against Serbia will be England’s toughest of the Tuchel era, with the Balkan side having several talented players, including Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic and former Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic in their ranks.
The atmosphere at Red Star Belgrade’s 50,000-seater Rajko Mitić Stadium will, no doubt, be hostile despite around 8,000 seats being set to be empty due to a FIFA punishment for racist chanting in a game against Andorra.
A statement from the Serbian FA (FSS) said it has been fined more than £600,000 by UEFA and FIFA over the past five years, with punishments related to “various prohibited items, insults, and discrimination in the stands".
The matter was also discussed by England captain Harry Kane in a recent press conference.
"We had a meeting and discussed the UEFA protocols that are in place,” Kane said.
“We don't like to discuss it too much. Our focus is on the game. Anything can happen, but we are not thinking about that.”
Serbia have faced an array of punishments in recent times, including for actions of their supporters during their defeat to England at Euro 2024.
The Serbian FA fined £12,250 after objects were thrown and a provocative message was displayed, according to BBC Sport.
Ahead of the tournament in Germany, a group of so-called ‘Ultras’ even attempted to storm their own team’s training base four days before their Euros opener against the Three Lions.
Around 8,000 fans armed with flares surrounded the Rosenau Stadium in Augsburg.
After just 3,000 of the supporters were allowed entry, scuffles broke out with security staff before police intervened as one man made his way towards the field where the Serbian players were training.
This was not the first unsavoury incident involving Serbian fans as a group even attacked their own team bus ahead of a Euro 2012 qualifier.
On that occasion, goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic, who had transferred from Red Star Belgrade to rival club Partizan, was reportedly confronted by a notorious hooligan known as Ivan ‘the Terrible’ Bogdanov.
The game was later abandoned with Italy handed a 3-0 victory.
Luke Davies