Serbia vs Albania

[Birchy]

Anybody seen the footage from this tonight? :rofl:

Game abandoned after a drone flew in an Albania flag and it all kicked off

Absolutely bonkers!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I thought the Albanian reaction was a tad OTT. The Serbian player(s) was only trying to get the flag down and carry on the game. I didn't think they were making a political statement but it certainly kicked off. Not sure what UEFA will make of it

 

[Deleted member 15344]

It's stupidity beyond belief

After being over in that region for a number of months it's still all in eggshells and doesnt take much to ignite something

Albania is still very raw about the way Serbia treated not just them but others in the Balkans

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Martin Atkinson the referee. Bet he's looking forward to the PL this weekend now. Thought he handled it very well

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Just seen it and the Albanian flag was on a map of Kosovo and can understand the reaction of the Albanians

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Just seen it and the Albanian flag was on a map of Kosovo and can understand the reaction of the Albanians

I get the politics but in this case and the pictures are very clear, the player was merely trying to get the drone/flag down and get the game back on. the look on his face when he's attacked is one of sheer shock. In hindsight, he perhaps shouldn't have touched it and waited for the ref or an official to do it but I don't think his naivety deserved the reaction he got. What was that masked fan doing on the pitch too

 

[Deleted member 15344]

When you see what Serbia did to Kosovo and the ethnic Albanians there you can see why someone from Albania would react if they saw a Serb handle their flag - it brings back horrific memories for them. No need for violence though but it's not surprising

 

[HomerJSimpson]

When you see what Serbia did to Kosovo and the ethnic Albanians there you can see why someone from Albania would react if they saw a Serb handle their flag - it brings back horrific memories for them. No need for violence though but it's not surprising

I get the political thing and understand the history. I just didn't think the Serbian players reaction was provocative or inflammatory and was done solely to get the football match restarted. It should never have provoked a brawl or led to the abandonment. If I was UEFA I'd be wanting to know why nothing was done and why that hooded fan was on the pitch.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The political and history is why they reacted

The stewards failed in their job also

They both already play without away fans - closed doors will be next

Some teams should always be kept apart

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The political and history is why they reacted

The stewards failed in their job also

They both already play without away fans - closed doors will be next

Some teams should always be kept apart

I get it. However a player taking a flag of a drone isn't or should never have been seen as a political act. Chances are (and we're never know as the Albanians piled in) he'd have handed it to the ref and an outbreak of football may have broken out. As I said, I'd be more concerned with masked fans being on the pitch in a game with no away fans. Hardly safe. However you can't and shouldn't make draws rigged to keep certain sides apart.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Serbia murdered hundreds of thousand of ethnic Albanians during the Balkan wars - that's why they would react when a Serb touches their flag - I have witnessed first hand how the Albanians will react towards Serbs and will find any excuse - the flag also had the map of Kosovo on it - the scene of many mass graves from Serbias ethnic cleansing

That's why they reacted regardless of what the Serb would have done or how innocent he was acting - it's a build up of decades of destruction , ethnic cleansing and hatred and it spills into the sporting arena - they will always be looking for ways to gain revenge even small ways.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Serbia murdered hundreds of thousand of ethnic Albanians during the Balkan wars - that's why they would react when a Serb touches their flag - I have witnessed first hand how the Albanians will react towards Serbs and will find any excuse - the flag also had the map of Kosovo on it - the scene of many mass graves from Serbias ethnic cleansing

That's why they reacted regardless of what the Serb would have done or how innocent he was acting - it's a build up of decades of destruction , ethnic cleansing and hatred and it spills into the sporting arena - they will always be looking for ways to gain revenge even small ways.

Jeepers. I get it. You've been there, seen it! It doesn't need reiterating every time. What I'm saying is that irrespective of it all it was a game of football and as you can see (from SSN) the Serbians did everything they could, AFTER their player was attacked to protect the Albanians and in my own opinion, they (Albanians) over reacted big time to no more than an attempt to get the game restarted

Chelsea defender and Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic said his team wanted to carry on playing, and that the decision to stop the match was ultimately taken by the Albanians.

"What happened is something we can't comprehend at the moment," he said. "On behalf of my team, all I can say is that we wanted to carry on and that we shielded the Albanian players every step of the way to the tunnel (after the riot broke out). I have a feeling UEFA will look on the Albanian behaviour in a dim manner although I can't see Serbia escaping either.


The match was abandoned with the scoreline goalless
"The Albanian team said they were unfit physically and mentally to carry on after talking to the officials and they will now decide the fate of this match. We can only regret that football took a back seat but it is difficult to draw any conclusions or make any comments now."

UEFA match 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."

 

[Lord Tyrion]

If a nation can not separate sport from politics, no matter how awful the background, then they should withdraw from competition until they are able to cope. Last night had no place in sport. I agree with Homer, the Serbian player was not being disrespectful towards the flag, he just wanted to get on with the game.

Thumbs up to Martin Atkinson. Horrible situation well handled.

 

[Birchy]

No surprise it escalated so quickly over there. Belgrade is one of them places where there is that tension in the air feeling like its going to kick off big time any minute.

If it was England we would get seriously screwed over for that behaviour and probably booted out.

 

[pbrown7582]

Seen a report that the drone was alleged to have being controlled by the brother of an Albanian senior minister from the directors box area. Premeditated political issues and a tricky one for UEFA.

There was a big off too between Hungary and Romania the night before big only fans this time.

 

[bladeplayer]

Make it clear if they cant keep sport and politics seperate then they will play behind closed doors and if it spills over between the player then out you go ,

until footballs governing bodies grow a pair , nothing will ever change , clubs/ countries are responsible for what happens in their stadia , any of this carry on you get fined (not 5k) and deducted points and then out altogether ..

Some of the many match or stadia officials should have seen this drone with the flag , and they should have dealt with it ,

On a side note and im not begrudging anyone going to games etc , i see these warn torn countries and the hardship they go through , but watch a club match or international game involving them and the place is packed to the rafters , money there somewhere , again not begrudging , just amazed by it