NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA punished the Serbian soccer association over racist actions by fans at two Nations League games, including an attempt to burn an Albania flag in Switzerland.

The decision was announced on Friday, hours before Serbia and Albania were drawn by FIFA into the same qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup – meaning they will play each other twice, home and away.

On Monday, the UEFA Executive Committee will confirm Serbia and Albania as co-hosts of the 2027 European Under-21 Championship.

At a match between Switzerland and Serbia last month, away fans were filmed trying to set fire to an Albanian flag. The Swiss team, which includes captain Granit Xhaka, usually relies on players with family ties to Albania or Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

UEFA said its disciplinary committee had charged the Serbian federation with “racist and/or discriminatory behavior” in Switzerland on November 15 and in the home game against Denmark three days later, as well as other incidents including fans displaying an “illegal banner.” .

The Serbian association has been banned from selling tickets for the team’s next two away games in UEFA competitions and will have to close parts of the stadium for two home games.

The first parts of the sanctions will come into force in March when Serbia faces Austria in the playoffs for promotion to the Nations League.

UEFA also imposed fines totaling 173,000 euros (US$181,000), including 90,000 euros (US$94,000) for discrimination.

The Serbian Football Association has been accused by UEFA and FIFA of repeated fan misconduct, including at Euro 2024 in Germany and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The matches between Serbia and Albania in next year’s World Cup qualifying will be the first since they met in a Euro 2016 qualifying group. The game in Belgrade in October 2014 was abandoned in chaos after a fan outside the stadium flew a drone over the pitch with an Albanian nationalist banner.

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