UEFA awards Sweden 3-0 win over Denmark

Sweden won 3-0 over Denmark on Friday after European Championship qualifier was abandoned because a Danish soccer fan attacked the referee last week.

Denmark midfielder Christian Poulsen was also banned for three competitive internationals, after punching Sweden striker Markus Rosenberg in the stomach during the same match on Saturday.

In addition, UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body fined the Danish Football Association 100,000 Swiss francs (EUR61,000, US$81,000) and ordered it to play their next four home Euro 2008 qualifiers at least 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Copenhagen. Its match against Liechtenstein on Sept. 12 will also have to be played at an empty stadium, UEFA said.

German referee Herbert Fandel abandoned the qualifier in the closing stages of the contest with the scores level at 3-3 after a Danish fan stormed the field and threw a punch at him in the final moments of the Group F match. The attack came moments after Fandel had given a red card to Poulsen and awarded a penalty to Sweden.

The decision puts Sweden in a clear lead in Group F with 18 points, three ahead of Spain. Denmark is in fourth place, eight points behind.

In a statement, the Danish soccer federation said it would appeal the decision.

"We are talking about an unusually harsh sanction which goes beyond what one has seen in earlier UEFA disciplinary cases," said Jim Stjerne Hansen, secretary general of the Danish federation and a member of UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body.

The Parken stadium in Copenhagen is expected to lose approximately 18 million kroner (EUR2.4 million; US$3.2 million) in income for all four games.

Parken chief executive Flemming Oestergaard was not immediately available for comment.

On Wednesday, Denmark's soccer federation suspended ticket sales for its next two European qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Spain pending UEFA's decision.

The federation had already sold 18,200 tickets for the match against Liechtenstein, but said it would reimburse fans if UEFA changed the venue.

As Poulsen did not play in Denmark's 2-0 win in Latvia last Wednesday, the remaining two matches of his suspension will be served in the return game in Sweden on Sept. 8 and the home match against Liechtenstein.

The man, who was not identified by police, was able to get a hand to Fandel's neck before being restrained by Danish players. He has since apologized for the attack.