The Red Devils are almost certain of their European Championship status with victory over Azerbaijan, even if the score remains 1-1 over Sweden | sports

Football is a side affair, especially at times like Monday evening. A harsh return to reality. The Swedish national team decided during the first half that there was no point in continuing the match, after two Swedish fans were attacked a few kilometers away, and informed the Belgian dressing room and UEFA through their captain Victor Lindelof. The Red Devils followed their Swedish colleagues in this. No one blamed them at all.

It can now remain that way, without Belgian sporting consequences. At first it seemed that the result against Sweden was important for the Red Devils to secure a seeding spot in the European Championship. But Hungary’s draw with Lithuania (2-2) changed that. If Belgium beats Azerbaijan by one goal on the final day of the match, the goal difference compared to Hungary is already more than seven and the Hungarians will have to score very quickly to keep up with this difference. They are still playing in Bulgaria and at home against Montenegro.

Although there is still uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the Belgium-Sweden match, no matter how insignificant it may seem. In accordance with Article 29 of UEFA legislation, a suspended official match must be resumed as soon as possible. Preferably the next day (Tuesday), without an audience, and in the same stadium. 45 minutes of football remaining. You understand: this is not realistic. In Brussels they are still very vigilant. Even if UEFA agree to another stadium – which is possible if deemed necessary for safety reasons – a replay today would be ruled out.

After all the hype, the Swedish national team immediately returned to Stockholm on a chartered plane, and the Devils also returned home one by one. Not to mention all the regulatory measures that need to be taken. Safety, the potential for ticket sales, television broadcasting… many questions for which UEFA does not have an immediately ready answer and therefore must be examined depending on the situation.

“If it is not possible to continue the next day, UEFA will look for a new date as soon as possible after the postponed match,” UEFA wrote. The next international break is already planned for November. Belgium will play only one match in the group stage on November 19, against Azerbaijan. Earlier that week, the Devils practiced against Serbia, a game that could be canceled if necessary. Only: the Swedes themselves are not free.

They will play two more European Championship qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Estonia in that international match. With the draw for the 2024 European Championship already scheduled for December 2, time is running out. UEFA legislation states that “rescheduling may involve deviation from the traditional match schedule,” but it is not realistic for Sweden to play three international matches while committing to one international match.

Since Sweden requested the match to be stopped, UEFA may be leaning toward a loss for the Scandinavian team. Meanwhile, interim CEO Manu Leroy responded to Le Soir. “We will not insist on a lump sum. We want to show respect for what happened.”

For KBVB, the “best solution” is for the match to end in a 1-1 draw. Leroy: “I will contact the Swedish and Austrian federations and UEFA. We will not cling to our seed status. At some point, ethics and ethics have to take precedence.

There are not many precedents for terrorism. When the Paris bombings cast a shadow over a friendly match between France and Germany in 2015, the match was complete. “In the event of force majeure, the UEFA Emergency Committee will make a decision. If this is not possible due to urgent necessity, the decision will be made by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin or General Secretary Theodor Theodoridis.

What will UEFA do in the coming days? 1-1? 3-0? Or another 45 minutes of football?