England's World Cup Qualifier Against Serbia Disrupted by Laser Incident
England's World Cup qualifier against Serbia in Belgrade was temporarily halted by the referee after a laser pointer was directed at Ezri Konsa from the crowd.
The incident occurred in the 38th minute of the match at Stadion Rajko Mitic, which the Three Lions ultimately won 5-0. Konsa reacted by throwing his head back after being seemingly dazzled by a green light.
Just moments before, a beam had also been aimed at fellow defender Reece James as he prepared to take a free kick.
French referee Clement Turpin paused the game briefly after Konsa's reaction and consulted with the fourth official on the sidelines.
Following the resumption of play, an announcement was made over the public address system warning fans against the use of laser pointers and other pyrotechnics.
In a separate incident, riot police were deployed in the stands midway through the second half after home fans began chanting anti-government slogans. Chants related to Kosovo were also heard throughout the match.
Due to previous incidents of racist chanting during a game against Andorra, at least 15% of the stadium was closed to home supporters as a punishment from FIFA.
A statement from the Serbian Football Association (FSS) revealed that it has faced fines exceeding £600,000 from FIFA and UEFA in the past five years.