Sept 27: Italy and Serbia & Montenegro have been punished for the behaviour of their supporters in Euro 2004 qualifiers against Wales. The Macedonia FA has also been fined £11,000 after their fans racially abused several England players and burned an English flag on 6 September. The Football Association of Wales, however, has reacted angrily to claims that their own fans acted improperly during the defeat to Italy earlier this month. UEFA has fined the Italian Football Federation £27,000 for "a serious lack of security that led to crowd disturbances" during the match in Milan in September. Welsh supporters claim they were spat on and pelted by bottles and coins from Italian fans inside the San Siro. But European football bosses also said disciplinary proceedings have been opened into "the improper conduct of Welsh supporters at the match". A small section of Welsh fans clashed with police inside the stadium after complaining about the behaviour of Italian fans. The FAW insist that the vast majority of the 8,000 Welsh fans were the victims of a sustained barrage from Italian fans sitting in the tier above them - an area they wanted to be left empty. "I am amazed they are going to investigate us now," said match secretary Mark Evans. "I feel that the vast majority of Welsh fans behaved with admirable restraint under severe provocation.
"Basically they were trying to leave the stadium to get away from the constant barrage of everything from bottles, gas cans, mobile phones, even bottles with urine in them, that were being thrown on them from Italian fans above.
Group Nine opponents Serbia & Montenegro have been fined £11,000 "for the racist conduct of its supporters" during last August's match against Wales and the under-21 side. Wales' black players Danny Gabbidon, Nathan Blake and Robert Earnshaw were target by the Serbia fans in Belgrade, and goalkeeper Jason Brown was abused during the Wales under-21 match the night before.
Brown told mediapersons he was glad to see UEFA taking a stand against racism in football.
"You can't put a price tag on anything like that, but it's good to see UEFA acting because there are so many people who get away with it," said Brown. "I thought Serbia would get away with it to be honest, but it's good to see UEFA have done something about it.
UEFA has also fined the Bosnian FA £13,000 for their fans' chanting racist abuse during the match against Norway on 6 September.
Bureau report