By DAN KARELL
UEFA could drop a hammer blow on both the Serbian and Albanian FAs after their UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match on Tuesday was abandoned due to crowd and player trouble.
Serbia and Albania share a border with the disputed territory, Kosovo. The trouble began midway through the first half at Stadion FK Partizan in Belgrade, Serbia when a drone entered the stadium carrying a flag of “greater Albania.” Serbian defender Stefan Mitrovic, and soon midfielder Nemanja Gudelj grabbed hold of the flag, sparking pushing and shoving from the Albanian players.
A small group of Serbian fans then made it on to the field and first attacked Bekim Balaj before a full-on melee ensued. Eventually the Albanian players and staff retreated to the locker room, with objects thrown at them from the stands. The Albanian FA did not allocate any tickets for away fans, fearing a potential brawl.
UEFA announced on Tuesday evening that they would be opening disciplinary proceedings on both countries, and president Michel Platini weighed in on the situation.
“Football is supposed to bring people together and our game should not be mixed with politics of any kind,” Platini said, via The Guardian. “The scenes in Belgrade last night were inexcusable.”
It was the first senior international match between the two nations since Serbia gained independence in 2006, and the first time Albania had played in Belgrade since 1967. UEFA defended their decision not to separate the two countries in qualifying, stating that neither FA requested they be separated, there was no ongoing armed conflict between the two, and they had normal diplomatic relations.
Here are some more stories to kick off your Wednesday:
THIAGO SUFFERS LIGAMENT TEAR
Bayern Munich’s central midfield has been slashed with another serious injury.
With Javi Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger already on the long-term injury list, Thiago Alcantara suffered a torn knee ligament during a training session this week, and will now be sidelined indefinitely. According to Bayern Munich’s website, Thiago has been diagnosed with a partially torn medial collateral ligament, and needs to have another operation.
“What can I say?” Thiago said to Bayern’s website. “Of course, I am at the moment deeply disappointed and desperate. Why always me? But I will not give up. I will fight again. I’m going to get on the field again. And I will celebrate my comeback with FC Bayern.”
Thiago was already trying to comeback from a knee injury suffered last season, as well as a number of setbacks and other muscle injuries suffered this fall.
QUICK KICKS
FIFA have suspended Mongolian FA president Ganbold Buyannemekh from participating in any soccer-related activities for a period of five years for accepting and soliciting bribes from Mohammed Bin Hammam. (REPORT)
Real Madrid are interested in signing 21-year-old holding midfielder Lucas Silva, who has been starring for Cruzeiro. (REPORT)
Queens Park Rangers centerback Rio Ferdinand has been charged with misconduct by the FA for tweet he sent that used a disparaging word. (REPORT)
Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul has suffered ligament damage in his elbow, sidelining him indefinitely. (REPORT)
Olympique Lyon announced that they lost €26.4 million in the last fiscal year. (REPORT)
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What do you think of these reports? What kind of punishments do you think UEFA will drop on Albania or Serbia? How big of a loss is Thiago to Bayern’s plans this season?
Share your thoughts below.
A lot of issues would be resolved by simply not letting any fans from the Balkan countries into int’l matches…lol.
Serbs were part of the Armenian genocide in the Balkan Wars, just before WWI, and Albanians were part of the murders of thousands of Serbs in Kosovo during WWII. Probably goes back hundreds of years before that as well.
The question is why are such centuries-old grievances clinged to so strongly today. Every “nation” or “ethnic group” around the world can dig up similar ancient grievances with neighboring groups. Why some can let bygones be bygones and others can’t is the question. I think the answer to that is a lot more modern than ancient.
And the biggest symbolic issue with Kosovo from the Serbian perspective is its defense by Serbs against the Turks 500 or so years ago : “Kosovo Polje”
Were the Serbs victims or perpetrators of the Armenian genocide? I thought the Turks were responsible for that.
Serbia, technically, didn’t “gain” independence in 2006… they basically lost every other country (including Montenegro in 2006) that made up the previous country, Yugoslavia.
I’m still confused as to why the Serbian fans would take out their frustrations at the Albanian players. They didn’t fly a drone into the stadium. They aren’t the cause for Kosovo independence.
That’s how extreme nationalism works. In this case, they are guilty because they are Albanians.
Yes. That is a rather odd way of framing the balkenization of Yugoslavia.