A EUROPA Conference League clash will now reportedly be held behind closed doors after fears that pro-Russian agents could infiltrate the crowd and trigger a coup.
Moldovan side FC Sheriff Tiraspol’s upcoming clash with Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade has allegedly been targeted by Putin-backing insurgents, amid instability in the region.
The Football Federation of Moldova has reportedly been instructed to ensure the match against the Serbian side is played without fans as it presents “real danger” to the country’s statehood.
Sheriff play their games in the breakaway province of Transnistria, which has a Kremlin-backed puppet government and borders Ukraine.
The Moldovan Football Association received a letter today from the country’s security services ahead of Thursday’s Europa Conference League clash warning that pro-Russian agents could enter the country disguised as Partizan’s infamous ultras.
Authorities had already moved the game from Tiraspol to the Moldovan capital Chisinau over security fears.
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Politician Adrian Keptonar reportedly said on Moldovan television: “At first, it was planned that fans of the Serbian team would arrive in our country.
“Thanks to the efforts of the Security Intelligence Service long before the information provided by (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy appeared, the Serbian national team will play in front of empty stands because that is how they planned to bring in saboteurs.”
President of Moldova Maia Sandu yesterday accused Russia of trying to “overthrow” her country’s pro-EU government.
She also alleged that Serbs were organising a coup in her country, which has expressed a desire to join NATO.
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Sandu, 50, said: “The Kremlin’s attempts to bring violence to Moldova will not work.
“Our main goal is the security of citizens and the state. Our goal is peace and public order in the country.
“The purpose of these actions is to overturn the constitutional order, to change the legitimate power from Chisinau to an illegitimate one that would put our country at Russia’s disposal to stop the European integration process, but also so that Moldova can be used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.”
Sandu also reportedly revealed that she has received information from Ukraine that Russia are “preparing forceful action” via “saboteurs”.
These “saboteurs” are claimed to have been prepared from Belarus and the Balkans, which includes Serbia, and Russia itself.
Earlier on Tuesday, 12 Serbian football fans were reportedly denied entry into Moldova at the capital’s Chisinau Airport due to not meeting conditions for authorisation to cross a state border.
It comes after Moldova closed its airspace for safety reasons on Tuesday.
Moldovan media outlet Libera claimed that a reconnaissance drone was spotted over Chisinau.
The country’s civil aviation authority said the advisory was issued to pilots at 9.24am GMT “to ensure the safety of civil aircraft flights”.
Transnistria is now at the centre of a growing crisis amid fears of a fresh Russian offensive in Ukraine to mark the one-year anniversary of Putin’s invasion.
The tiny region of just 500,000 people unilaterally declared independence in 1991 after Moldova broke away from the Soviet Union.
Armed conflicts took place in the narrow strip of land on the east bank of the Dniester River between 1991 and 1992 before a cease-fire agreement was signed in 1993.
Since then, an uneasy peace has held, but Transnistria has become a bizarre Soviet throwback.
It has a so-called constitution, flag and currency, although no UN member country recognises it as a state.
Russian passports have been issued to some of the country’s residents, while statues of Soviet figures such as Lenin fill the city of Tiraspol.
Sheriff qualified for the Europa Conference League knockout phase after coming third in their Europa League group, in which Manchester United came second.
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They welcomed the Red Devils to Chisinau in September, Erik ten Hag’s side winning 2-0 at Zimbru Stadium.
They then lost 3-0 at Old Trafford the following month, with Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo among the scorers.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
