NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA ordered Kosovo on Wednesday to forfeit a Nations League game in Romania after its team refused to play on in second-half stoppage time, with the score 0-0, after hearing pro-Serbia chants.
Romania was awarded a 3-0 win by default for the game in Bucharest last Friday, though it was ordered by UEFA to play its first home game in a World Cup qualifying group next year in an empty stadium. That was punishment for “racist” chants by Romanian fans targeting neighboring Hungary.
The default result, and the award of three points to Romania, did not affect the final standings in the teams' third-tier Nations League group. Even a 3-0 default win for Kosovo, tying both teams on 15 points, would have left Romania top of the standings on a tiebreaker of overall goal difference.
The 2026 World Cup qualifying process in Europe was affected by the UEFA verdict on Wednesday.
Romania's new tally of 18 points, instead of 16, lifted it above Sweden and North Macedonia in the ranking of Nations League group winners. That could be key next November when entries to the World Cup qualifying playoffs are finalized.
UEFA also fined the Romanian soccer federation a total of 128,000 euros ($135,000) for a range of charges relating to “xenophobic anti-Hungarian chants,” "provocative political messages not fit for a sports event,” and disturbing the national anthems.
The state of Romania does not recognize Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008 from Serbia.
The match in Bucharest was suspended in stoppage time and later abandoned. There were scuffles between players from both sides and Kosovo players walked off the pitch.
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Romanian fans wave a banner in the colors of Serbia and Romania national flags 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 goalkeeper Florin Nita shakes hands with referee Morten Krogh of Denmark after 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)
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)
