Violence has marred Serbian football for two decades and Tuesday's scenes in Genoa where visiting fans launched flares at Italy supporters and tried to cause a riot have cast doubt over Serbia's future in the Euro 2012 qualifiers.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini condemned the trouble.
Platini's remarks were particularly poignant as he was a Juventus player in the 1985 European Cup final on the night of the Heysel Stadium disaster in Brussels when rioting Liverpool fans caused the deaths of 39 Italian supporters.
"I was shocked by the images of yesterday's Italy-Serbia match," Platini said in a statement.
"I have too many bad memories associated with violence in football. I am awaiting the results of the investigation and the decisions of the disciplinary bodies and I remind everyone that UEFA has a zero tolerance policy towards violence in stadia."
"The collaboration of the authorities is key to combating this scourge and I will request help from the highest level on those countries most affected."
Blatter, in Downing Street to meet British Prime Minister David Cameron and discuss England's 2018 World Cup bid, praised England for ridding its game of hooligans and building modern all-seater stadiums.
"If this had been the case in Italy you would not have had the problems yesterday at the Italy v Serbia match in Genoa," Blatter said.
FULL INVESTIGATION
UEFA issued a statement saying it had opened a "full and thorough disciplinary investigation into the incidents of serious disorder" at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body has several sanctions available, ranging from a large fine to disqualification from competitions in progress and/or exclusion from future competitions.
Group C leaders Italy, set to refund their fans at the game, are likely to be awarded a 3-0 walkover win.
The Serbian FA has called an emergency executive board meeting for Friday but few senior football figures in the country would be surprised if UEFA hands down a severe punishment at its hearing on October 28.
The match was abandoned after six minutes when flares landed near players on the pitch. The start had been delayed by 35 minutes because of crowd disorder and there were clashes outside the ground with police late into the night.
GOALKEEPER ABUSED
Serbia's goalkeeper was abused before the match by his own fans and a flare was hurled into the team bus.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said he feared a major tragedy and former Serbia striker Savo Milosevic, the country's most capped international with 102 appearances, said it was already the end of the road for the team as far as Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine was concerned.
"This is one of the darkest days in the history of Serbia's football and the punishment is likely to be so drastic that the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign is as good as over for us," he
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