Drone with Albanian banner sparks soccer brawl
Albanian banner carried away by the drone hovering above the stadium in Belgrade, Serbia. / Courtesy of AP
A drone carrying an Albanian banner sparked a brawl between players and fans, during a soccer match between Serbia and Albania in Belgrade, Tuesday.
The match, a European Championship qualifier, was called off due to the commotion.
The match’s referee, British named Martin Atkinson, stopped the match in the 41st minute (the score was 0-0) when a Serbian player grabbed the banner and Albanian players tried to protect it. Serbian fans took to the field and clashed with Albanian players.
Tensions have persisted between the sides since 2008, when the Serbian province of Kosovo declared independence.
Albanian fans had reportedly been warned by Serbian security staff not to attend the match. But the fans managed to get inside the stadium despite the warning, that they would be “arrested if they carry Albanian symbols,” reports said.
According to the Associated Press, the drone made a series of passes above the football field. The banner showed an Albanian flag and a map of so-called "Greater Albania," an area that the nation claims includes territories within today's Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and northern Greece.