15 Oct 14
Albania, Serbia Euro 2016 qualifier was suspended after a drone flying Albanian flag over the pitch sparked a brawl between the teams.
BIRN
Belgrade

First football match between Albania and Serbia in decades was halted and abandoned in 41st minute at 0:0, after a clash between the teams.

The match was interrupted when a drone carrying banned Albanian flag was flown over the pitch.

Serbian player Stefan Mitrovic pulled down the flag, which led to brawl between the teams, as Albanian players tried to take the flag from Mitrovic.

Dozen of fans run to the pitch and as riot police moved in, both Albanian and Serbian teams retreated from the field and referee Martin Atkinson suspended the match.

UEFA officially confirmed that the match has been abandoned about half an hour later, while its disciplinary commission will decide whether to punish the teams.

The UEFA European Championship 2016 qualifying match was the first match between Serbia and Albania since 1967.

No Albanians fans were allowed to attend the stadium in Belgrade because of fears of violence.

The Albanian Football Federation announced the ban on Saturday, adding that the same rule would apply to Serbian fans at the return game in Albania next year.

However, Serbian news agency Tanjug reported that Albanian fans may discretely attend the match and avoid detection if they do not display national symbols.

The decision reflects concerns that tensions between supporters could turn violent due to the history of conflict between Serbs and Albanians over Kosovo, the mainly Albanian-inhabited territory that declared independence from Serbia in 2008. More than half of Albania’s football team comes from Kosovo.

Defying the ban, some Kosovo fans have travelled to Belgrade in any case.