“Partizan Stadium was quiet, perhaps too quiet, as half-time approached. It was tempting to think Serbia’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Albania – the latter’s first visit to Belgrade since 1967 – was going to conclude without incident. Serbia had dominated a slow-paced game and looked favourites to win at 0-0. There had been little yet to rile a crowd that was bereft of away supporters after Uefa had stepped into a dispute over the terms under which travelling fans could attend the game.” BBC (Video)
Drone Stunt at Belgrade Soccer Match Stirs Ethnic Tensions
“On a region where ethnic nationalism is never far from the surface, a stunt at a soccer match between Albania and Serbia has escalated into a full-scale diplomatic incident, provoking suspected cyberattacks, violence and the lobbing of verbal insults with a fervor usually reserved for the field. What was expected to be a beautiful game overcoming historic enmities turned ugly Tuesday evening when a small drone trailing a nationalist Albanian flag helped set off a melee at a qualifying match in Belgrade, Serbia, for the 2016 European Championship. Video of the event showed some Serbian spectators — Albanian fans were barred from the stadium — shouting ‘Kill! Kill! Kill!’ Others ran onto the field, attacking Albanian players, sometimes with chairs, and forcing the Albanian team to escape through a tunnel at the end of the field. The game was abandoned while the score was still 0-0.” NY Times