Euro 2016 Qualifier Abandoned After Serbian Striker Rips Down Albanian Flag That Was Flown Over the Pitch on a Drone, Sparking Huge Brawl Between the Players
Riot Police Take Control of EURO QUALIFIER Albania/Serbia Match
- UEFA banned away fans from attending last night's game in Belgrade
- Politically-charged match halted after Stefan Mitrovic pulls down flag
- Fights between players and officials and havoc seen in Partizan Stadium
- Brother of Albanian PM arrested in VIP Box for allegedly instigating stunt
- But Albanian Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri claims this is just 'speculation'
- Stadium announcer bizarrely plays Believe by Cher to calm down fans
- There are long-running political tensions between Serbia and Albania
Daily Mail UK, 15 October 2014
A European football match was dramatically abandoned last night after a Serbian player ripped down an Albanian flag that was flown over the pitch on a drone, sparking a huge brawl.
The politically-charged Euro 2016 qualifier was halted after defender Stefan Mitrovic pulled down the flag - leading to fights between players and officials and havoc in the Partizan Stadium’s stands.
European football governing body Uefa banned Albania fans from attending the clash in Belgrade but elected to allow the two countries to face each other, despite long-standing political tensions.
The flag is flown above the pitch by a drone with the message 'autochthonous', meaning indigenous
The flag with Albanian symbols flies over the stadium - moments later chaos descended on the stadium
Stefan Mitrovic leaps to grab the flag and pull it and the drone to the ground - leading to chaos
Mitrovic tugs at the strings holding the now-grounded flag to the drone flying above
Nemanja Gudelj holds the flag while Albania's Bekim Balaj and Andi Lila try to protect it
Tension boiled over as fans and officials spilled onto the pitch after the flag was pulled down
The drone struggles to fly as players from both sides get involved in a scuffle
A Serbian fan scuffles with Albania's Mergim Mavraj
Serbian fans confront riot police at the FK Partizan stadium in Belgrade
A masked Serbian supporter pulls the drone that flew the flag with Albanian national symbols over the pitch
Serbian fans roll a barrel towards riot police
After a delay of around half an hour, English referee Martin Atkinson abandoned the game, with the score level at 0-0
And when the Albanian flag - accompanied by a map of Kosovo and the message 'autochthonous', meaning indigenous - appeared above the pitch with a remote-operated drone, chaos soon ensued.
Olsi Rama - the brother of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama - was arrested in the VIP Box on suspicion of instigating the stunt and was allegedly found with a remote, Serbian state television said.
But Albanian Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri said he believed Olsi Rama had left the stadium for the airport, according to details he had from Serbia's interior ministry and Albanian officials in Belgrade.
Asked if he had been arrested on suspicion of organising the drone stunt, Mr Tahiri told Reuters: 'Not to my knowledge. It's speculation.'
Earlier, Radio Television of Serbia said on its official website of Olsi Rama: 'He was arrested on suspicion that he masterminded and executed the incident.'
Bizarrely, the announcer at the stadium played 1998 Cher hit song Believe in an attempt to calm fans during the break, to no avail.
Aleksandar Kolarov peacemaker as Serbia vs Albania is abandoned:
Tense: Riot police stand guard during the qualifying match
Southampton's Dusan Tadic is at the centre of a scuffle along with Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov
Fans and players clashed on the pitch as tensions reached fever pitch in Belgrade
Players and officials scuffle after the flag is pulled down - the match has since been abandoned
An Albanian player and a Serbian fan fought on the pitch, with a steward also joining the fracas
Stewards struggle to quell the violence that erupted on the pitch
The players brawl while a chair is launched towards them by another pitch invader
Albania's Burim Kukeli (centre) and a teammate clash with a Serbian fan
Riot police clash with hooded supporters
Albanian players try to take cover as they flee to the tunnel - a chair can be seen being thrown above them
The Albanian players pile into the tunnel with one of the electronic advertising hoardings knocked over
After a delay of around half an hour, English referee Martin Atkinson abandoned the game, with the score at 0-0.
Quote:
We wanted to carry on. We shielded the Albanian players every step of the way in the tunnel
Branislav Ivanović, Serbian defender
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Uefa delegate Harry Been said: 'It is a regretful situation on which we will report; the referee, myself and the security advisor. The circumstances were such that we couldn’t continue the match.
'You all saw what happened and I cannot comment on who is to blame or what to blame. I will submit a report with my colleagues to Uefa and Uefa will decide what will happen further.'
Serbian defender Branislav Ivanović, who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, said: 'What happened is something we can't comprehend at the moment.
‘All I can say is that we wanted to carry on. We shielded the Albanian players every step of the way in the tunnel. The Albanian team said they were unfit physically and mentally to carry on after talking to the officials.'
Albanian believes football team gave good example of the people:
The Albanian flag - with the map of Kosovo accompanying it - was flown over the field in Belgrade
A remote-controller drone was used to show off the flag, before being pulled down by Aleksander Mitrovic
Serbian riot police try to contain the home supporters after fighting broke out in the pitch and the stands - it is not known whether the fans shown in this picture were involved in the disorder
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic walks from the pitch with his head bowed on a disgraceful night
Riot police attempt to contain fans in the stands of the Partizan Stadium
Albanian fans had been warned against attending the game between the two Balkan rival nations that have had turbulent relations - mainly over the former ethnic Albanian-dominated Serbian province of Kosovo that declared independence in 2008.
Nato waged a 78-day air war in 1999 to halt the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo by Serbian forces fighting a two-year counter-insurgency war. Serbia does not recognise Kosovo as independent.
Quote:
SERBIA-ALBANIA: THE HISTORY
Albanian fans were banned from attending the match between the two Balkan rival nations, due to the turbulent relations between the two.
These have mainly surrounded the over the former ethnic Albanian-dominated Serbian province of Kosovo.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but this is not recognised by Serbia.
Nato waged a 78-day air war in 1999 to halt the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo by Serbian forces fighting a two-year counter-insurgency war.
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Both Serbian and Albanian fans have a long history of violence and racial abuse. In October 2010, the Italy-Serbia European Championship qualifier was disrupted in Genoa by violent Serbia fans. Uefa eventually awarded Italy a 3-0 win.
Last night, the Albanian anthem was loudly jeered by Serbian fans and derogatory chanting was heard throughout the first half. Serbian supporters also threw flares at the pitch.
The drone, clearly visible in the lights of the stadium, made a series of passes above the pitch.
The banner displayed an Albanian flag and a map of so-called ‘Greater Albania’, an area that comprises territory within today's Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and northern Greece.
A flare is lit among the Serbian crowd - it is not known whether the fans shown in this picture were involved in the disorder
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic watches on as the Albanian players seize the flag
Players and a security officer fight on the pitch in ugly scenes
Players from both sides, as well as fans, were involved in fighting
Riot police and fans clash in the stands before the game was later cancelled - it is not known whether the fans shown in this picture were involved in the disorder
Kosovo Albanians with Albanian flags in center of Kosovo's capital Pristina after the match between Serbia and Albania was suspended
Serbia fans burn a NATO flag during the Group I qualifying game at the Partizan Stadium - it is not known whether the fans shown in this picture were involved in the disorder
The flag flies above the pitch with the score at 0-0 just before half time in Belgrade
The flag that was flown over the stadium is shown ahead of the game
The banner also portrayed two Albanian nationalist leaders - Ismail Qemali, who declared Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912 and Isa Boletini, an Albanian fighter against the Turks.
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WHAT WAS THE FLAG ALL ABOUT?
The double-headed eagle, as featured on the Albanian flag, is imposed upon so-called 'Greater Albania' where ethnic Albanians live.
The word 'autochthonous' refers to Serbia's alleged attempts to control Kosovo despite not being indigenous to the region.
Seven of Albania's squad were born in the Kosovo region.
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Fearing trouble, hundreds of riot police were deployed inside and outside the Partizan stadium in Belgrade.
Dozens of Albanian fans, mostly from Kosovo and Montenegro, apparently managed to get inside despite warnings by Serbian security officials that they would be arrested if they carry Albanian symbols.
On his Twitter page, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama congratulated Albanian players for their courage before the match was abandoned and added that he was ‘sorry for the neighbours who left a bad worldwide image with the ugly show’.
Thousands of Albanian fans who followed the match on a big screen in Tirana headed for the airport in the Albanian capital to welcome the players arriving from Belgrade.
After the match, Albanian Interior Minister Mr Tahiri sent a letter to his Serbian counterpart expressing concerns for the security of the Albania players, team staff, journalists and a few fans.
The minister asked for ‘urgent steps to guarantee the security of all Albanian citizens present in the stadium’.
One supporter tries to protect himself from the riot police who moved into the stand as tensions boiled over
Fans clashed with police as havoc took hold in the stands in Belgrade - it is not known whether the fans shown in this picture were involved in the disorder
The match was already hotly-contested before the flag incident saw the match postponed
Chelsea's Nemanja Matic was starring in midfield for the Serbian side before the game was suspended
Matic sidesteps a challenge from Ansi Agolli before the shameful scenes in the ground
Serbian supporters wave their flags on what was a heated night in Belgrade
Kosovo Albanians cheer and light flares as they watch the match on giant public screen in Kosovo
Serbia supporters head towards the stadium ahead of the game with what appears to be a flare
Serbia supporters chant, accompanied by their national flag, before the Group I qualifying match - it is not known whether the fans shown in this picture were involved in the disorder
Thousands of Kosovo Albanians followed the game on a giant screen in Pristina, Kosovo
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