Security failed, Serbia blocks Euro qualification in Genoa

On 12 October 2010 Italy was set to host Serbia in Genoa in a decisive match for Euro 2012 qualification, but the game ended before it even started in the middle of the night due to a violent invasion by Serbian fans.

The match took place at the Galileo Ferraris in Marassi, Genoa. It was a qualifying match for Euro 2012, a tournament that would be held in Poland and Ukraine. The encounter could have affected the ranking of both national teams.

The chaos of the Serbian fans

Serbian supporters first stormed their national team's bus, then entered the Marassi area armed with smoke bombs, shears and rockets. The police failed to contain the invasion, allowing the fans to act with impunity.

The crowd leader, Ivan Bogdanov, nicknamed “The Terrible”, put on a balaclava before kickoff, climbed the pavilion windows and cut the protective net, setting off the smoke bombs.

The match official, Scottish referee Thompson, initially postponed the game by forty minutes, hoping to restore order.

Captain Dejan Stankovic and his teammates tried to mediate with their supporters, managing to get the match started.

After just six minutes the match was permanently suspended. Bogdanov raised three fingers, the symbol of the three C (S) in the Cyrillic alphabet, meaning “Sloga Srbina Spasava”. The game will not be decided with a 3‑0 forfeit result.