Match between Serbia and Albania called off due to violent scene
A fight breaks out on the pitch between Serbian fans and Albanian players during their Euro 2016 Group ‘I' qualifying match at the Partizan stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, on Tuesday. The match was suspended after skirmishes broke out involving players
Belgrade: A Euro 2016 qualifying match between Serbia and Albania was abandoned after a drone carrying a pro-Albanian message was flown over the stadium late Tuesday, sparking violent scenes on and off the pitch.The match between the Balkan rivals was scoreless when it was stopped in the 41st minute after the drone trailing a “Greater Albania” flag flew over the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade and was brought down by a Serbia player.
The incident triggered clashes between the two sets of players and a handful of the 20,000 Serbian spectators ran on to the pitch and tried to assault the Albanian team.
Albanian fans had been banned from attending the match.Serbia’s interior ministry said the brother of Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama was arrested over the incident, accused of controlling the drone from his seat in the stadium’s executive box.
But the prime minister’s brother, Olsi Rama, who later returned to Tirana with the Albanian team to a hero’s welcome, said he had “nothing to do with the drone.” “I don’t understand where this story came from,” Rama said. “I was neither arrested nor detained. When the incident occurred the situation became chaotic, police were checking everyone.
“I showed them my US passport and my camera and all this lasted only a few minutes,” Rama said. European football’s governing body UEFA said the circumstances of the match would be reported to its Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.
( Source : AFP )
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