Serbia hit with partial stadium closure against England over fans' racist behaviour
Serbia, who were also fined 50,000 Swiss francs ($62,877), must keep at least 15% of the capacity behind the goals closed at Belgrade's Rajko Mitic Stadium when England visit for the Group K clash on September 9, the FSS added.
"The Football Association of Serbia once again appeals to fans... to remember that the FSS is under special monitoring by the FIFA and UEFA disciplinary bodies and that there is zero tolerance for violations of regulations and laws," the FSS said in a post on X.
Serbia were hit with partial stadium closures by UEFA last year over supporter behaviour during the Nations League.
Third-placed Serbia visit Latvia on September 6 before welcoming group leaders England, who have won all three of their games so far. The winner of the five-team group will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the second-placed team will progress to the playoffs. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
English grit beats Spanish skill to secure Euro glory
BASEL, Switzerland - England were on the ropes often at the Women's Euros, and they always found a knockout blow, before beating Spain in a final penalty shootout to show that skill may be a way to dominate games, but it takes the heart of a lioness to win them. Chloe Kelly was the hero, firing in the spot-kick to ensure the defending champions retained their crown, but every English player had to dig deep to thwart a Spanish side who were best everywhere except on the final scoreboard. Down 2-0 at the break, England's tournament almost ended in the quarter-finals as Sweden looked set to cruise through, but Kelly and Michelle Agyemang dragged the champions back into the game with late goals before they won the penalty shootout despite having four kicks saved. They made heavy weather of Italy in the semis and again Kelly came to the rescue, scoring a 119th-minute winner to send them into the final despite another flawed performance. In contrast, Spain cruised, purring like the engine of one of the many sports cars that can be seen zipping along city streets in the more affluent parts of Switzerland. They beat the host nation, and eased past Germany in the semis to make the final. They met England in the 2023 World Cup final when a first-half goal set Spain on course for victory and their first major title. The story was almost a carbon copy on Sunday as they took the lead through Mariona Caldentey in the 25th minute. Led by playmaker Aitan Bonmati, the Spaniards sensed a weakness on England's left flank and probed it relentlessly until Ona Batlle came up with the cross for Caldentey to score. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 KELLY INTRODUCTION The introduction of Kelly before the break for the injured Lauren James strengthened that wing, and when Kelly set Russo up for the equaliser the tide did not exactly turn, but the belief of the English players certainly grew. Battered by a number of crunching tackles, fullbacks Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood continued to throw themselves into every challenge, while captain Leah Williamson made a lung-bursting run to create a late chance that hinted at reserves of energy not even she knew she had. Having been to the brink so many times, England believed. When the game finished 1-1 and the penalty shootout awaited, the English players seemed relaxed and confident, with their Spanish counterparts looking slightly more on edge. The Spaniards had the game in the palms of their hands for 120 minutes, but it began slipping away as Hannah Hamton started to save their spot-kicks, first from Caldentey and then from Bonmati, before Paralluelo fired her effort wide. Kelly made no mistake, lashing the ball into the net as the English fans in the stadium erupted in joy. "This is England, I think this is our moment, we've dug in for the 120 minutes, we've done what we needed to do to keep Spain out. It was just one kick and that was it and so we did that this time," Hampton said. For all their dominance, this is a final that Spain will feel got away from them. Despite all their success in recent years, they lacked the cutting edge they needed to get the job done, and when it really mattered, England had it in spades. REUTERS
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
From fan to champ, James Lichtenstein wins his first high diving gold at World Aquatics C'ships
SINGAPORE – Competing alongside rivals whom he idolises, James Lichtenstein earned himself a place in the pantheon on July 27 by clinching the high diving title at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) for the first time. The 30-year-old American, who was trailing leader Carlos Gimeno of Spain by 24.7 points heading into the final round of the men's 27m platform at Sentosa's Palawan Green, executed a clutch dive to claim the gold medal, which was also his country's first at the WCH after 17 days of competition. 'Amazing, incredible, a dream come true. I know I can dive well, but to put it together when it counts is a thrilling feeling,' he said. 'I've been looking up to those guys (his fellow competitors) for years, and I started only four years ago. 'That first year for me was the adjustment period, like 'I'm diving with these idols', but now, I know I can compete with the best of them.' James Lichtenstein in action in round 5 of the men's 27m platform at Sentosa. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY Lichtenstein, who started competing in the high diving World Cup only in 2023, had never stood atop the podium previously, coming closest with a silver in the Bahrain leg of the 2024 World Cup. At WCH 2025, he topped the 14-strong field with 428.90 points after round 6, ahead of Gimeno (425.30) and Romania's Constantin Popovici (408.70). Executing five somersaults in the tuck position after a backward take-off, Lichtenstein scored a massive 143.10 points in the final round to surpass Gimeno's armstand 4½ tuck (114.80) and pip him to the gold by 3.6 points. Carlos Gimeno during the sixth round dive. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY 'Not (feeling) so good man,' a sullen Gimeno said at the mixed zone after the final. '(From) being in first all the time for the whole competition… And at the end, just miss the gold by a little bit (three points).' Pointing to his heart, he added: 'That hurt a lot, you know, and that's something that I'm gonna remember, (because it) hit here. 'I guess God didn't want to give me this gold medal this time… But chin up because this sport is so difficult and so dangerous and I'm proud of myself, I put in my best performance.' The Spaniard had led through the first three rounds and again after the fifth, but as he prepared for his sixth and final dive, his hand wobbled while getting in position for his handstand. Gimeno added: 'Normally we have only four rounds of competition. Here we have six rounds, so when I did the handstand, I felt a little tired. But yeah, it's painful. Second place, not good.' But he is keeping a positive attitude and looking to bounce back at the high diving World Cup in Porto Flavia, Italy on Aug 30 and 31. 'It's another competition. So, yeah, that one… Yeah I'm going to win that one. I'm going to remove what I had inside (the pain) and I'm going to win that one.' Popovici, who topped the field after the fourth round, said of his performance: 'In round 5, I missed my back twist by a bit, just a slight short from vertical (entry). In training I did very well, but competition is competition, but I'm happy for third place, and of course, in the future, I wish for a shinier one.'
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Spain feeling the love ahead of England showdown in Women's Euro final
BASEL, Switzerland - The Spain soccer squad has been riding an unprecedented wave of support ahead of their Women's Euro final against England on Sunday, where they will attempt to add the European crown to their world and Nations League titles. Competing in the final for the first time, the Spaniards are enjoying every moment as fans pack the stands at the Swiss stadiums and fill the town squares back home, watching the team's games on big screens. "What we feel is that love, we are thankful, it's very exciting. In the recent past, we couldn't imagine that. Now (the fans) can (help us) win a game, they can send the game to extra time," team captain Irene Paredes told reporters at a media conference on Saturday. "Some people may like us or not, but the reality is that when there's a game on public television, people are there... and to those followers, thank you, and please continue supporting us, because what we get here is lovely. We feel it, and that helps a lot," she added. It's a far cry from the fractured squad that won the World Cup in 2023, despite several key players boycotting the tournament due to a dispute with the Spanish football federation and the team's coaching staff. "What we get from Spain is love and support, we get the different provinces where the final will be shown, we get all those vibes, it's a support we have always felt," coach Montse Tome said of her current squad. "I don't know if responsibility is what we feel - we feel motivation, we are very happy and it's clear for us that our heads, our focus will be tomorrow on the task every player has to do. We'll put our energy there tomorrow," she added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Tome's side's recent successful run suffered a blip at the 2024 Olympics when they lost the bronze medal game to Germany, but they got their revenge against the Germans with an extra-time win in the semi-finals, and they are keen to continue adding to their trophy cabinet. "I think during the whole tournament we've been writing history, entering the semi-finals for the first time, going to the final for the first time as well, beating Germany for the first time and I feel we've been accomplishing objectives," Tome said. "We are playing six games (at the Euros), and what I believe is that England defends the title - they are the current champions and we will play them again, we will compete, we will enjoy the game and, of course, we want to win." REUTERS
