Mircea Lucescu Lashes Out at UEFA Sanctions: "Kosovo Humiliated Us, and We Got Fined Too"

The head coach of the Romanian national team, Mircea Lucescu, has expressed his outrage at UEFA's decision regarding the controversial UEFA Nations League match against Kosovo. While Kosovo were handed a technical 0-3 defeat for abandoning the pitch, Romania received a €128,000 fine and were ordered to play their next match behind closed doors.

"Kosovo Walked Out, and We Were Left in Limbo"

Speaking to Pro TV, Lucescu did not hold back his frustration over the incident and how it was handled:

"A 3-0 result was mandatory because it’s explicitly stated in the regulations. The team that leaves the pitch forfeits by default. But this ruling should have been made 15 minutes after the incident, not hours later. Instead, Kosovo humiliated us by storming off the pitch, and we were left in the dressing room for hours, clueless about what to do."

The game was abandoned after Kosovo players left the field in protest over offensive chants and banners from Romanian fans, including references to "Serbia" and nationalistic slogans.

"Romania Punished While Kosovo Gets Sympathy"

Lucescu was particularly incensed by the sanctions imposed on Romania, suggesting they were overly harsh and sent the wrong message:

"It’s absurd to reward a team that abandons the pitch, claiming their image is more important than the game itself. Does this mean any team can now do the same? Kosovo should have been penalized, and that should have been the end of it. Instead, we’re fined and punished further. Our team felt humiliated, and meanwhile, their players were in their dressing room drinking beer and eating pizza."