Serbia and Albania are facing sanctions after UEFA charged both countries with a number of offences following the abandoned Euro 2016 qualifier in Belgrade. Disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the football associations of both countries after their behavior at Tuesday’s qualifier at the Partizan Stadium and there will be a hearing on October 23.

There are likely to be hefty fines and other sanctions that may include a deduction of points. Albania may be forced to forfeit the match while Serbia may be forced to play future games behind closed doors, however it isn’t expected that the teams will be ousted from the competition.

U.S. President Michel Platini says that the incidents as “inexcusable”. “Football is supposed to bring people together and our game should not be mixed with politics of any kind,” he said.

“Football should never be used for politicala messages,” said FIFA President Sepp Blatter. “I strongly condemn what happened in Belgrade.”

Neither country had requested to be kept apart in the draw as is the case with Russia and Ukraine, Spain and Gibraltar and Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Albania has been charged with the display of an illicit banner that was flown by a remote-operated drone over the pitch displaying a flag of two nationalist heroes (one of which fought against Serbia), a map of “Greater Albania” that included large chunks of other countries including Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav of Macedonia and Northern Greece and the word “autochthonous” (meaning “indigenous” and refering to Serbia’s attempts to control the Kosovo that declared independence in 2008). The team was also charged with refusing to play.

Serbia has been charged with missile-throwing, crowd disturbance, invasion of pitch by supporters, bad organization and the use of a laser pointer.

Strong policing as the game is abandoned –

The Serbian FA (FSS) said that their team acted with restraint despite being provoked by the flag and they were attacked when they tried to remove it from the field. “Serbian player Stefan mitrovic managed to catch the flag and, as it can be clearly seen on all the footages, started to fold it as calmly as possible in order to give it to the fourth official,” says the statement. The FSS says that Albania’s response to the controversy had been “scandalous” and likened the flag incident to a “scenario of a terrorist action planned in advance.” There are allegations on Serbian TV that the prime minister’s brother was the man responsible for the drone operation.

The statement also said that Serbia had asked UEFA to finish the match after emptying the stadium, but that this had been rejected by Albania.