Why on earth did UEFA even think that fixture was in anyway a good idea? One set of fans or not.
Even more mind boggling, who on earth decided that playing the match in a ground with thousands of fans supporting one team was fair? Just have it behind closed doors if you're stupid enough to have it in the first place.
Serbia shouldnt even be participating in UEFA competitions at the moment, not with the utter shambles that was the racism debacle a few years ago.
If the game couldn't continue because of a pitch invasion during which Albanian players were assaulted, then UEFA ought to award the game 3-0 to the away team.
Bet they won't have the balls to do that, but I can't see how further international matches, at either club or country level, can be played in Belgrade until Serbia clean up their act.
Kolarov hates all this nonsense. He's already had a got at the Serbian fans for the way they treat the players and now he's been involved in this I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he'd retired. Must be miserable having to put up with stuff like this
Serbian fans are absolutely mental, it wasn't that long ago that they attacked their own team bus and went on the rampage in Italy and got that game abandoned. I'm amazed they aren't forced to play all their games behind closed doors.
Although having said that, the game was passing by without trouble last night until the Albanian flag was flown in, so surely Albania have to take some of the blame for this?
Form my Serbian buddy (living here, not at the game)...
There is a bit of traditional Serbian victimhood on show but in this case I have some sympathy with him for the obvious Albanian provocation. And I agree they should never have kept these two in the same group. UEFA like FIFA are not fit for purpose, but who can control those two bodies?
Mate, Before you start sending me what Guardian write about match in Belgrade, just to share first thoughts from watching and following Serbian TV: - Albanians refused for a days to accept proposal of Serbian FA that both games shall be without guest visitors. They accepted after Uefa pressed them but hesitated to turn back tickets they already got - they refused to supply the list of names who will attend to game in special VIP lounge on the stadium although this is a must. Serb police therefore retained plane from Tirana on BG airport and allowed visitors to come after EU ambassador in BG insisted to do so.(will be important, see below) - apart from some, for Balkans usual scenario (anti Shiptar songs and cheering), atmosphere was ok, game went normally. Until 40'. - all of the sudden, dron appear above the pitch, carrying flag of Big Albania (including Kosovo and more parts of Serb territory). One of our players managed to get it down (the flag), when few their players attacked to get the flag. Some small fights happened and several fans get on the ground trying to attack Albanian players. - game was abandoned and after hour suspended - just heard on the news that brother of Albanian PM who was in VIP lounge was arrested because he manipulated with the dron!? - Uefa officials on the match insisted that game shall be continued, but guests refuse and immediately left to airport
Why Uefa allowed Serbia and Albania to be in the same group? In the same time Uefa decided that Spain and Gibraltar and Armenia and Azerbaijan cant be in the same group... Why Uefa allowed guests to hesitate about tickets? Why Eu ambassador (Davenport) insisted that guest shall be allowed to enter Serbia against the rules?
Just to remind that Putin is coming this Thursday, in event of 70th years celebrating Belgrade liberation. Again, nice way to punish Serbs for being undisciplined again:-) I'm curious how this will be illustrated in the world and democratic press. Z
In England we get fans running on the pitch in joyous celebration and we're heavily criticised and warned not to let it happen again by the FA / UEFA / FIFA etc..
Same thing happens anywhere else in the world and the governing bodies just seem to shrug their shoulders, hand out fines that mean games are held behind closed doors and wait for the next time
Other than one angry bloke, how quick did those Albanians want to get down that tunnel! They'll have to play both qualifiers behind closed doors now I would imagine.
Love the fact that, amongst all that carnage, there's a bloke dressed up as a duck....,,.
In England we get fans running on the pitch in joyous celebration and we're heavily criticised and warned not to let it happen again by the FA / UEFA / FIFA etc..
Same thing happens anywhere else in the world and the governing bodies just seem to shrug their shoulders, hand out fines that mean games are held behind closed doors and wait for the next time
Let's see what happens first before making judgement
And unfortunately in England it isn't always "joyous celebration" either.
'Pitch invasion' is a gross overstatement, a few presumably Serbian spectators got onto the pitch but were outnumbered by the players. Two things: 1) The Serbs are not necessarily wholly responsible for this affair. The 'drone' towing the Albanian flag and the Albanian players response to the Serb player understandably grabbing the flag was the flashpoint ... 2) The roots of this situation have zero to do with football. The truth is that the Balkans has been a hotbed of inter community hatreds since the Ottoman Empire used the divide and rule principle to govern the area over hundreds of years. Many Albanians are Muslim, most Serbs are Christian Orthodox. Albania is a NATO member and a candidate for EU membership. I trust that Serbia will not once again be subject to extensive bombing by 'the allies' as a result of this storm in a teacup
Comments
Even more mind boggling, who on earth decided that playing the match in a ground with thousands of fans supporting one team was fair? Just have it behind closed doors if you're stupid enough to have it in the first place.
Serbia shouldnt even be participating in UEFA competitions at the moment, not with the utter shambles that was the racism debacle a few years ago.
Unbelievable Jeff.
Bet they won't have the balls to do that, but I can't see how further international matches, at either club or country level, can be played in Belgrade until Serbia clean up their act.
Although having said that, the game was passing by without trouble last night until the Albanian flag was flown in, so surely Albania have to take some of the blame for this?
There is a bit of traditional Serbian victimhood on show but in this case I have some sympathy with him for the obvious Albanian provocation. And I agree they should never have kept these two in the same group. UEFA like FIFA are not fit for purpose, but who can control those two bodies?
Mate,
Before you start sending me what Guardian write about match in Belgrade, just to share first thoughts from watching and following Serbian TV:
- Albanians refused for a days to accept proposal of Serbian FA that both games shall be without guest visitors. They accepted after Uefa pressed them but hesitated to turn back tickets they already got
- they refused to supply the list of names who will attend to game in special VIP lounge on the stadium although this is a must. Serb police therefore retained plane from Tirana on BG airport and allowed visitors to come after EU ambassador in BG insisted to do so.(will be important, see below)
- apart from some, for Balkans usual scenario (anti Shiptar songs and cheering), atmosphere was ok, game went normally. Until 40'.
- all of the sudden, dron appear above the pitch, carrying flag of Big Albania (including Kosovo and more parts
of Serb territory). One of our players managed to get it down (the flag), when few their players attacked to get the flag. Some small fights happened and several fans get on the ground trying to attack Albanian players.
- game was abandoned and after hour suspended
- just heard on the news that brother of Albanian PM who was in VIP lounge was arrested because he manipulated with the dron!?
- Uefa officials on the match insisted that game shall be continued, but guests refuse and immediately left to airport
Why Uefa allowed Serbia and Albania to be in the same group? In the same time Uefa decided that Spain and Gibraltar and Armenia and Azerbaijan cant be in the same group...
Why Uefa allowed guests to hesitate about tickets?
Why Eu ambassador (Davenport) insisted that guest shall be allowed to enter Serbia against the rules?
Just to remind that Putin is coming this Thursday, in event of 70th years celebrating Belgrade liberation.
Again, nice way to punish Serbs for being undisciplined again:-)
I'm curious how this will be illustrated in the world and democratic press.
Z
I think we all know who was really behind this.
:-)
In England we get fans running on the pitch in joyous celebration and we're heavily criticised and warned not to let it happen again by the FA / UEFA / FIFA etc..
Same thing happens anywhere else in the world and the governing bodies just seem to shrug their shoulders, hand out fines that mean games are held behind closed doors and wait for the next time
Love the fact that, amongst all that carnage, there's a bloke dressed up as a duck....,,.
And unfortunately in England it isn't always "joyous celebration" either.
Two things: 1) The Serbs are not necessarily wholly responsible for this affair. The 'drone' towing the Albanian flag and the Albanian players response to the Serb player understandably grabbing the flag was the flashpoint ... 2) The roots of this situation have zero to do with football. The truth is that the Balkans has been a hotbed of inter community hatreds since the Ottoman Empire used the divide and rule principle to govern the area over hundreds of years. Many Albanians are Muslim, most Serbs are Christian Orthodox.
Albania is a NATO member and a candidate for EU membership. I trust that Serbia will not once again be subject to extensive bombing by 'the allies' as a result of this storm in a teacup