Serbia's Tadic uncorks legal action with champagne celebration
Belgrade - Belgrade police launched legal proceedings against Serbian President Boris Tadic because he violated an anti-hooligan law by cracking open a bottle of sparkling wine at a stadium, local reports said Friday.
Tadic opened the sparkling wine Saturday on the VIP balcony of the Red Star Belgrade stadium to celebrate the 5-0 win over Romania and Serbia's direct qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Police also formally took legal action against the president of the Serbian football organization, Tomislav Karadzic, Sports Minister Snezana Markovic-Samardzic and other officials who toasted with Tadic.
They all violated the law on sport events which, aiming to suppress violence, prohibits the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in stadiums and in other arenas, police said.
The infraction is minor misdemeanor, not a criminal violation.
Serbia has been plagued by often deadly hooliganism, most recently in September, when a French tourist was beaten to death in central Belgrade ahead of a UEFA League match of Partizan and Toulouse.(dpa)