Soccer

Albania FA say players were assaulted by fans, stewards and police in Belgrade

Serbia’s interior minister claims Albania ‘not mature enough’ to join European community

A Serbian fan attacks Albania’s Bekim Balaj with a chair during disturbances at te Euro 2016 qualifier between Serbia and Albania in Belgrade on Tuesday night. Photograph: Marko Djurica/Reuters
A Serbian fan attacks Albania’s Bekim Balaj with a chair during disturbances at te Euro 2016 qualifier between Serbia and Albania in Belgrade on Tuesday night. Photograph: Marko Djurica/Reuters
Thu Oct 16 2014 - 13:34

Albania claim their players were assaulted by fans, stewards and police in Belgrade at the now-infamous Euro 2016 qualifier against Serbia which was abandoned after the violent scenes.

Uefa has charged both countries with a number of offences following the game, which saw a melee erupt on the pitch after a mini unmanned drone trailed a pro-Albania flag over the stadium.

Serbia have claimed the incident had been a “scenario of a terrorist action planned in advance”, but the Albania FA has hit back saying the team was targeted even before the game when stones were throw at the bus, and its delegation and players were hit by a piece of concrete and other missiles during the warm-up.

A statement from the Albania FA said: “For the entire duration of warm-up, the offensive chants of 30,000 strong repeated “Kill the Albanians” and “Death to Albanians”.”

READ MORE

The melee began after a Serbian player hauled down the flag from the drone and English referee Martin Atkinson took the players off the pitch. Albania then refused to consider returning even if the stadium was cleared of fans.

The statement added: “Making their way to the dressing rooms, in the tunnel, Albania players were repeatedly hit by Serbia supporters, security personnel and the police.”

Both countries are likely to be handed heavy fines and other sanctions, including possible points deductions, when Uefa’s disciplinary body hears the case on October 23rd.

Albania face forfeiting the match and Serbia playing future games behind closed doors but Uefa is not expected to expel the countries from the competition.

Serbia’s interior minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said on Thursday that Albania was “not mature enough” to join the European community, stepping up the war of words between the Balkan nations.

Stefanovic’s remarks cast further doubt on a scheduled visit by Albanian prime minister Edi Rama to Belgrade next week – the first by an Albanian leader in almost 70 years.

“Police have found the drone and will forward it for expert analysis to determine its producer and where it was purchased,” Stefanovic said in a statement.

“Statements by leaders of the Albanian government demonstrate that they knew such a provocation was being prepared.

“If Albania believes that European values are the values of so-called ‘Greater Albania’, then the Serbian Republic cannot share them by any means, and hence we believe that they are not mature enough as a state to join the European family.”

The Serbian Football Association (FSS), which also blamed the Albanians for the incidents but said would press for charges to be brought against home fans who invaded the pitch, called the drone stunt an act of terrorism.

“The Serbian FA is appalled by the provocation and also fears that this was a pre-arranged scenario amounting to a terrorist act aimed primarily against our country, the Republic of Serbia,” the FSS said.

Serbia has pinned the blame on a cluster of Albanian fans in the VIP stand of the stadium, including the brother of Rama, who were granted entrance despite a ban on Albanian fans over security concerns.