Home / Blog / Seven Things You Need To Know About The Serbia-Albania Match Violence In Belgrade
Seven things you need to know about the Serbia-Albania match violence in Belgrade
By Ben Green
Updated: October 16, 2014
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This article was submitted to 101 Great Goals on our Facebook page by Benardo Gjoka.
Much of the international media coverage of the violence in the Partizan Belgrade stadium has focused on the stunt of a drone flying an Albanian banner, the ensuing brawl and pitch invasion by angry Serb fans.
There were additional elements to the violence that are either not being reported by international media or being under-reported. Here are some of them:
1. Albanian fans were not allowed to attend the match. Serb authorities said they would arrest anyone who showed any symbol of the visiting team in the stadium — restrictions that are almost unheard of in international football. A few Albanian supporters were able to get in, but the crowd was more than 99 percent Serb.
2. The Serb crowd chanted, “Ubij, Ubij Siptar” – “Kill, Kill the Albanians,” throughout the 40 minutes the game was played. They used the Milosevic-era derogatory term for Albanian, which is akin to the n-word in North America.
3. The stadium was filled with Serb nationalistic political banners, like “Kosovo is Serbia” and other slogans relating to Bosnia and Croatia. The Serb fans loudly booed the Albanian national anthem.
Hard objects and fireworks were thrown on Albanian players well before the drone started flying. The few Albanian journalists who had dared to go to Belgrade also reported that they were pelted with hard objects throughout the first half.
4. Ivan Bogdanovic, the Serb hooligan who led the 2010 Italy match riot, was seen invading the pitch. He served jail time in Serbia after the Italy incident, in which he burned an Albanian flag. That game had to be abandoned as well. Yesterday he led a group of masked supporters onto the pitch before being kicked out by police.
6. More than half of Albania’s national team has roots in Kosovo, which split from Serbia in the late 90s in a violent conflict that ended through a NATO intervention 15 years go. The alliance’s flag was also burned in Belgrade last night. (Albania has been a NATO member since 2009. Serbia is officially EU-minded, but also Russia-friendly.)
7. Despite the harsh political atmosphere in the stadium, the Albanian national team went to play football, and it managed to overcome a shaky first few minutes, moving to gain the upper hand in the field when the interruption occurred.
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14 CommentsRSS|Subscribe
Weird Fella24 hours ago
No one who wasn't there can tell what happen.They can only speculate. The truth is actually in between - the fans were not allowed to avoid the obvious conflict, and the game should have been played without the audiences, both of them. But then again, many tickets were sold to the Albanian fans so it is not true that they were forbidden. Only "extreme fans" were. The drone incident was a deliberate provocation. At this point no one who isn't a Serb or an Albanian can't really understand the truth behind the flag. So just leave it there. Other than that, the drone itself was an obstacle on the field. Also, it was an unprofessional for Albanian players to attack Serbian player who caught the flag (which is by action the prevention of the escalation of the incident). And it was unprofessional that a melee occurred on the field, but then again, this melee is nothing that it could have been, and this is thanx to the law enforcement.
All in all, it would be better if there was no audience whatsoever. Or when the incident occurred, removal of the flag should have happened without the melee. It is SPORT and sport should bring people together. And if some fans add politics to the game, players shouldn't. They need to prevent the further conflict.
And all of those who don't live on Balkan, just avoid making assumptions, please.
Thank you.
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Ervin Mici18 hours ago
You are lying. Just some journalists and diplomats were allowed after intervention of foreign diplomats. Their number was less than 100 and thy were isolated and controlled many times from police. Imagine British or German team playing in those conditions. You would have a real drone standing up there
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anxhelo kellici1 day ago
The best and the true article in this days for the match..what is wroten is all true...in this conditoins 3 points for albania, if not than UEFA is a place of corruption and a dead
Reply +1
Bojan Jankovic1 day ago
1. Serbia asked UEFA not to match up these two teams. Similar to Spain Gibraltar and others. UEFA refused.
2. Serbia asked to have a game with no spectators, again UEFA declines.
3. The reason for not having Albanian visitors is for protection, absolutely the same will, or would happen, in Albania.
4. Some Albanians were able to join the game since someone pushed the Serbs to allow them.
5. One of these guys flew a drone. It was a carefully planned event.
6. The drone had a picture of great Albania, covering territories of Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Nice.
7. Albanian soccer player attacked Serbian players in Serbia!!! It is easy to see this. I am wondering what would happen in a vice verse situation.
Finally, why is a biased Albanian supporter allowed to trash Serbia on the portal is beyond me. I hope you loose all the audience to this site since this kind of journalism? is bull.
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eno lolo9 hours ago
Hahaha you didn't speak about your national hero present in the field the police commander...Ivan Bogdanov (this is the name I think you knows better) this is the perfect example for our children??? Hahaha and is true that Serbia ask uefa but it was because the Serbian federation knows very very well their fans...easy google red star- partizan two teams of belgrade...only fighting club images.
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Лазар Денић1 day ago
Always blame the serbs .....
Reply 0
Zack Cody1 day ago
Well he wrote just facts, just by looking at the photos and listening to the videos I can confirm that evrything In the article is true.
Reply 0
Sonja Nikcevic1 day ago
Letting fans publish articles on such a delicate topic? A bit unprofessional.
Reply 1 reply-2
Hrvoje Jurić1 day ago
where is a dron???
Reply 0
sosasosa sosaratis1 day ago
it is obvious that this artichle have been written by albanian....and the editors of 101 gg should be ashamed for this unprofessional publishing
Reply 3 replies-1
Zack Cody1 day ago
Everything mentioned in the article happened. Please point to one sentence that was made up. I don't think you can. Instead of accusing others for writing what really happened maybe Serbia side should stop insulting Albania, Bosnia, Croatia Kosova and admit that political issues are not to be dealt at sport events. Stop the sickening ideology of greater Serbia and dreaming of occupying territory of other countries. No Albania, Bosnia, Croatia and Kosova don't belong to Serbia. Face it
Reply 1 reply+2
sosasosa sosaratis1 day ago
in year 1389 Milos Obilic slaughter turkish sultan murat in Gazimestan on Kosovo and Metohija.....the same faith awaits you
Reply 0
Hrvoje Jurić1 day ago
where is a dron???
Reply 0
Randy Paul2 days ago
Whoever thought to have these two teams playing in a non-neutral ground should have their head examined.
Reply +1
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