BUCHAREST (AP) — Romania's soccer federation expressed its disappointment Saturday at what it called “premeditated” behavior by Kosovo's team in Friday night's abandoned match in the Nations League.
The match was suspended in stoppage time and later abandoned with the score 0-0 in Bucharest. There were scuffles between players from both sides and Kosovo players walked off the pitch. UEFA did not explain why the game was cut short but Kosovo players were reportedly upset at hearing pro-Serbian slogans.
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Kosovo's Amir Rrahmani, left, argues with Romania's Denis Alibec during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Romania and Kosovo was suspended at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)
Romania's Radu Dragusin, center, breaks up a scuffle between Romania's Denis Alibec, left, and Kosovo's Mergim Vojvoda during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Romania and Kosovo was suspended at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)
Kosovo players leave the pitch during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Romania and Kosovo at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)
Kosovo players leave the pitch during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Romania and Kosovo at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)
“The Romanian Football Federation expresses its deepest disappointment regarding the behavior of the Kosovo delegation and its players,” the federation said in a statement Saturday. “We consider the accusations made by the Kosovo side to be unfounded and firmly believe that their actions were premeditated.”
After historic tensions were heightened by the 1990s Balkans conflicts, in 2008 majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo declared independence for the former Serbian province. Serbia refuses to recognize that independence and considers Kosovo the cradle of its statehood.
The federation denied that there were any offensive chants made by Romania's fans about Kosovo.
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Kosovo's Amir Rrahmani, left, argues with Romania's Denis Alibec during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Romania and Kosovo was suspended at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)
Romania's Radu Dragusin, center, breaks up a scuffle between Romania's Denis Alibec, left, and Kosovo's Mergim Vojvoda during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Romania and Kosovo was suspended at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)
Kosovo players leave the pitch during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Romania and Kosovo at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)
Kosovo players leave the pitch during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Romania and Kosovo at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)
ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.
The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.
The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.
The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.
The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”
The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.
Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.
The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.
On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.
Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.
“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”
Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.
Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.
“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.
Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.
Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
