Serbia vs Albania football game interrupted after drone invasion 14 10 2014
Serbia’s foreign minister has said a flag incident that halted a Euro 2016 qualifier against Albania was a “political provocation”. Ivica Dacic said he was waiting to see how the EU and Uefa would react to the event at a stadium in Belgrade.
“Brother of Albanian prime minister was arrested in Belgrade now.
Seems that he was flying the drone from the VIP [box].”
[Source: twitter @WScom]A brother of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has denied being detained on suspicion of controlling the drone. Olsi Rama told Albanian TV channel SuperSport that reports of his arrest were untrue after Serbian state TV announced he had been held on suspicion that “he masterminded and executed the incident”.
He flew back to Albania after the match in the Serbian capital, which he had reportedly attended as a VIP.
Ordinary Albanian fans had been banned from attending the game between the two Balkan nations, which have a long and bitter history of rivalry.
EU 2016 match Serbia – Albania stopped after “drone attack” | Dutch BNR |
The drone draped a flag that not only disturbed the players on the pitch, but the political content led to anger from the crowd
“On the flag was a map of ‘Greater Albania’, not only the present boundaries but included Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Northern Greece and Macedonia. The emblem on the flag included the faces of two nationalist leaders. When the Serbian fans realized the insult, it was not possible to refrain them from entering the pitch.”
- ○ Drone toting pro-Albanian flag causes riots that end Albania vs. Serbia Euro 2016 qualifier early | Washington Post |
○ Serbia-Albania match abandoned following drone stunt, brawl | Reuters | Hürriyet Daily News |
○ Albania flag-flying drone stops Serbia soccer match, sparks scuffles | Russia Today |
Battle of Kosovo not from recent history, dates back to 1389!
Continue below the fold …
Brothers in Arms: Serbia, Greece, and France: On the centennial of the outbreak of World War I
“Way there yonder, where lemon is blossoming…”
(Way There Yonder / Tamo daleko lyrics)Each year, Serbian veterans from World War I had been going to Greece to lay wreaths at Zeytinlik, World War I Serbian Military Cemetery in Salonika, and throw wreaths into the sea near the Greek island of Corfu.
There, at Corfu, Serbian soldiers were recovering after passing through Albania, which was one of the main ordeals for the Serbian Army during the war. Civilians were retreating too, since they felt safer going with the Army, than staying in their towns and villages and being exposed to the vengeance of the Austrian Army.
Serbian Army had been quite successful at the beginning of the War, but soon the tables turned. Serbian Army was lacking proper arms and funds to obtain them, their having been depleted during the previous Balkan Wars. Hence it was forced to retreat. Many Serbian people, soldiers and civilians alike, died while retreating through Albania, from famine, cold, disease, and attacks by Albanians. When they reached Greece, they were taken to the island of Corfu. Many were buried in the sea, since so many of them were dying that there was neither time nor room to bury them in the land.
In the collective memory of the Serbian people this is one of the greatest tragedies in our history, comparable to that of the Kosovo Battle in 1389, when we lost our freedom to centuries-long Turkish occupation.
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