1 week Ago By [email protected] (Mark Walker, Robbie Copeland)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Exasperated Ianis Hagi was caught in the middle of furious scenes that saw Romania's match with Kosovo abandoned on Friday night.
The Rangers star was a late sub for his country who were locked at 0-0 in the Nations League clash which erupted in a political storm in the dying stages. A scuffle broke out between the players after Kosovo decided they'd had enough of chants from the crowd declaring 'Kosovo is Serbia' - a reference to the ongoing political tension between the two countries after Kosovo declared their independence in 2008. Hagi was lined up to take a free-kick in the Kosovo half when the scrap broke out and Kosovo players then stormed down the tunnel.
He was seen flapping his arms in frustration as his team chased a winner, but he wouldn't get the chance to take it and the match was abandoned soon after an hour of confusion, with the Kosovo players refusing to re-emerge from the changing rooms. Similar scenes dominated a Euro 2024 qualifier between the two last year but Kosovo allowed the game to resume on that occasion. This time though they'd had enough, and it's yet to be determined who will be awarded the points.
Elsewhere Portugal will rest Cristiano Ronaldo for their final Nations League game in Croatia...
.and the Tartan Army will be alarmed to discover his replacement is former Rangers flop Fabio Silva. And boss Roberto Martinez has also told three other key stars - Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, Manchester City key man Bernardo Silva and Pedro Neto of Chelsea - they will be rested for the game in Split.
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uk. You can find out more about the show here and also catch up on previous episodes with our full Hotline Live playlist on YouTube. Scotland still have a chance of finishing in second place depending on last game results, but they need group winners Portugal to win in Croatia.
However, Martinez has opted for heavy squad rotation and Ronaldo, who scored two goals in their 5-1 win over Poland, won't travel to the Balkans along with the Premier League trio. And they may have to rely on Silva to help them win in Croatia. Silva has won his first call-up for the national side after scoring three goals in La Liga for Las Palmas in eight games in Spain.
Last season, he joined Rangers on loan from Wolves and his performances were derided after just four Premiership goals in 18 appearances. Martinez said: "There will be squad management for the game in Croatia. In modern football, there is one team that starts and another that finishes.
It's November and I think that overloading the players is a responsibility that we need to be aware of.".
