UEFA grant Victor Lindelof request as decision made over replaying Belgium vs Sweden following deadly shooting

UEFA have confirmed that the Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden in Brussels will not be replayed after it was abandoned at half-time.

The game was stopped at half-time on Monday evening for security reasons after two men, who were reported to be wearing Swedish football shirts, were shot dead in the city.

A third Swedish man was seriously injured in the attack, with all three victims in their 60s and 70s.

At the time, it was reported that the suspect was still at large, and Brussels was placed on its highest terror alert.

After the game was called off, spectators were told to stay inside the King Baudouin Stadium, and remained there for several hours before being evacuated.

An overnight manhunt for the subject then took place, and he was shot dead by Belgian police in a cafe on Tuesday morning.

Sweden captain and Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof confirmed that the players made the decision not to carry on the match. The attacks occurred at 7pm local time, but the players were only informed at half-time in the match.

Former Coventry forward Victor Gyokeres put the Swedes ahead on 15 minutes, before Romelu Lukaku levelled the scores from the penalty spot on 31 minutes.

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UEFA have now announced that the game will not be restarted or replayed, and the half-time result of 1-1 will stand.

In an official statement, UEFA said that the football federations of Belgium and Sweden both 'explicitly expressed their desire not to play the remaining match time and to consider the result at the half-time interval (1-1)'.

Another point of consideration, UEFA also state, was that the match result would not impact either side, as Belgium have already qualified and Sweden are mathematically eliminated.

The match also could not have been played during the upcoming November international window.

Speaking after the match had initially been abandoned, Lindelof voiced his desire for the game not to be restarted, citing Sweden's elimination from qualification as a major reason.

The United defender explained: "Belgium are already qualified and we don't have the opportunity to get to the European Championship, so I see no reason to [replay the game]."

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