Two English, five Serb players charged over brawl

BELGRADE (AFP) –

English midfielder Danny Rose, pictured in January 2012. Serbian police have charged 12 people, including five Serbian and two England players, over scuffles at the end of an under-21 international two weeks ago, officials said Tuesday. In chaotic scenes, Rose was sent off for kicking the ball away in response to what he said was monkey chanting and physical provocation, as scuffles broke out.

Serbian police have charged 12 people, including five Serbian and two England players, over scuffles at the end of an under-21 international two weeks ago, officials said Tuesday.

In addition, assistant coaches from both sides were also charged for “taking part and committing violence” during the match in the central Serbian town of Krusevac, police said.

Charges were also filed against five Serbian fans for “igniting and throwing flares” during the game which England claimed had been marred by racial abuse.

None of the suspects was identified in the statement.

Last week, two Serbian under-21 internationals and two members of the coaching staff were banned by Serbia’s Football Federation (FSS) for up to two years for their involvement in the brawl.

Midfielder Nikola Ninkovic and striker Ognjen Mudrinski are banned from playing for a year, while assistant coaches Srdjan Maksimovic and Andreja Milutinovic were each given two-year bans from working with any national squad.

The FSS gave no details of their offences nor made any reference to England claims of racist abuse.

In chaotic scenes, England defender Danny Rose was sent off for kicking the ball away in response to what he said was monkey chanting and physical provocation, as scuffles broke out between players, coaches and supporters at the end of the match.

The FSS has denied there was any racism at all and branded the England player’s behaviour “vulgar”.

England won the match 2-0 on aggregate with an injury-time goal to secure qualification for 2103 European championships.

UEFA charged both countries’ football associations for the incidents and warned Serbia of sanctions for alleged racial abuse.

The UEFA disciplinary committee will meet on November 22 to decide what punishment to mete out.