Serbia will host Albania for the primary time in over a decade after their final encounter ended with riot police surrounding the pitch and the sport being referred to as off within the first half.
The 2 nations have been drawn collectively in World Cup qualifying Group Okay alongside England, Latvia and Andorra.
UEFA has a brief listing of ‘prohibited clashes’ between nations that can’t be drawn collectively for political causes. For this draw, that meant Belarus couldn’t draw Ukraine, Gibraltar couldn’t draw Spain, and Kosovo wouldn’t be paired with both Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Serbia and Albania drawn collectively ten years after brawl that led to match abandonment
(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Nonetheless, Serbia and Albania should not a part of that listing regardless of an extended, advanced and largely troublesome relationship after a long time of political tensions.
Issues got here to a head on the soccer pitch in a Euro 2016 qualifier in 2014 after a drone flew over the pitch carrying a flag that includes Albanian nationwide symbols. A melee between the 2 units of gamers started after Serbia defender Stefan Mitrovic leapt to deliver down the flag.
A flag with Albanian nationwide symbols hooked up to a remotely operated drone flies within the stadium in the course of the Euro 2016 qualifier (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Quite a few Serbian supporters entered the pitch in the course of the tussle, which turned it right into a brawl by which 4 Albanian gamers suffered minor accidents. Albania additionally claimed their gamers had been attacked by stewards and riot police, which Serbian officers denied.
That led to the sport being suspended by English referee Martin Atkinson and riot police being deployed across the perimeter of the pitch.
Half an hour later, the sport was deserted at 0-0, with UEFA initially awarding a 3-0 forfeit victory to Serbia but additionally docking them three factors and imposing a two-game order to play behind closed doorways. Either side had been fined €100,000.
The Court docket of Arbitration for Sport subsequently reversed the walkover win on enchantment, awarding the 3-0 win to Albania as a substitute. The remainder of UEFA’s punishments had been upheld.
Serbian followers had been denied permission to attend the reverse fixture in Albania the next yr.
Serbia ran out 2-0 winners due to a pair of harm time objectives, however the outcome proved immaterial to each side as Albania claimed computerized qualification for Euro 2016 whereas Serbia fell in need of even making the play-offs.
The precise dates for the 2026 World Cup qualification video games are but to be introduced, however qualifying video games will probably be performed in March, June, September, October and November 2025.
