Some Red Star fans chanted a song about President Milosevic

An official of the Yugoslav Football Federation, Kosta Vukovic, issued his warning as the Yugoslav championship season got underway, with the Belgrade team, Red Star, defending its title.

Mr Vukovic said that if fans misbehaved, the police would empty stadiums and fine the home teams.

Chanting

The warning comes six weeks before presidential and parliamentary elections in Yugoslavia.

Red Star and Dynamo Kiev recently met in a qualifying match

Last month, riot police waded into the stands and clashed with Red Star supporters after they chanted a song telling President Slobodan Milosevic to go and hang himself.

The decision suggests the football authorities are also concerned about the behaviour of Red Star fans at a forthcoming international match against Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine.

The authorities will be anxious to avoid international embarrassment in the weeks running up to the Yugoslav presidential and parliamentary elections at the end of September.