The Germany national team will play their key Nations League away match in Belgrade on 13 November behind closed doors. UEFA has confirmed a spectator ban for the fixture against Serbia at the Stadion Rajko Mitic, imposed due to racist and discriminatory behaviour by Serbian fans in previous matches.
The German Football Association (DFB) has already informed ticket holders for the match that German supporters cannot travel to Belgrade. "We were in close contact with UEFA and the Serbian association and would have wished for better news for you," the DFB said. The Serbian FA had attempted to mitigate the penalty, but UEFA's decision is legally binding. "In addition to the spectator exclusion, it imposed a fine of 50,000 euros," UEFA stated. Serbian fans were already banned from the previous fixture in Munich, which Germany won 2-0.
Crucial Phase for Klopp's Side
The news arrives at a delicate stage in Group A2 for head coach Jürgen Klopp and his team. Following a 0-0 draw with Greece on 4 October and an inconsistent start of one win, two draws and one defeat in their last four matches, Germany sit third with five points. The Netherlands and Greece lead with eight points each. Only the top two teams in the group qualify for the quarter-finals, meaning Germany urgently need points in Belgrade and in their final group game against the Netherlands in Berlin three days later.
The situation is not without hope. The last meeting with Serbia ended in a 2-0 home victory on 1 October, which was Klopp's first win as national team boss. The goals that day were scored by Tom Bischof (39th minute) and Florian Wirtz (61st). The current standings show that every single result now counts. With Deniz Undav as the team's top scorer this season, the side will hope to use the unusual atmosphere in Belgrade to their advantage. The next fixture on the schedule is this behind-closed-doors match in Serbia on 13 November.
Read the full report at n-tv.de
