Romania beat Kosovo 2-0 in a Euro 2024 qualifier suspended on Tuesday for under an hour after the home team’s fans repeatedly shouted pro-Serbia chants. The game in Bucharest was stopped in the 18th minute after some of the crowd at the National Arena began chanting “Serbia Serbia,” and a player confronted people in the stands displaying a sign saying “Kosovo is Serbia.” European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, said that the match had been interrupted due to discriminatory behavior from some supporters. Romanian captain Nicolae Stanciu reportedly attempted to speak with the fans and urged them to stop the chants.

The chants came from the ongoing tensions between the two countries over Kosovo’s independence from Serbia. Serbia, which considers Kosovo its province, is one of only a few EU member states that do not recognize the move. The two countries have been feuding since Kosovo declared independence in February 2008.

Earlier in the day, a Romanian newspaper reported that far-right extremists were behind the chants. The paper, citing police sources, quoted an unnamed source saying that the ultras chanted about a “Serbian invasion” of Kosovo. The report added that the ultras were a “reactionary and hateful group.”

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In a statement, the National Police said it had received information about “attempts to disturb order and public peace” in Bucharest and had taken steps to ensure security at sports venues. It also warned that the riot police could intervene in case of any incidents. Several videos emerged on social media of people booing the Romanian players and chanting in support of Serbia. Some of them even shouted that Romania had lost the game.

After the match resumed, Romania moved ahead in the 83rd minute with a goal by Nicolae Stanciu, and Valentin Mihaila added a second in stoppage time to secure the victory for the visitors. The result put Romania in second place in the six-team Group I, two points behind Switzerland, while Kosovo dropped to fifth.

The match in Bucharest was the only one of the four games to be played in the group and was crucial for both sides. The top two teams will qualify for the finals tournament in November, and the losers will be eliminated. The other two matches in the group occur on Thursday in Bulgaria and Sunday in Israel. Ahead of the games, there have been protests by groups opposed to further talks on Kosovo’s status with Serbia. The status talks have been stalled for years and many of the country’s Serb minority fear that independence will lead to violence between ethnic Albanians and Kosovo’s majority Muslims. The escalating tensions have also raised concerns about possible instability in the region.