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Drone Stunt at Belgrade Soccer Match Stirs Ethnic Tensions Drone Stunt at Belgrade Soccer Match Stirs Ethnic Tensions
(about 4 hours later)
In 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. Ahead of a planned visit to the Serbian capital of Belgrade by the prime minister of Albania, ethnic tensions fueled by a stunt at a soccer match earlier this week have escalated into a full-scale diplomatic incident.
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. Prime Minister Edi Rama was scheduled to visit Belgrade on Wednesday, the first visit by an Albanian government leader in 70 years. But Serbian officials have accused Mr. Rama’s brother, Olsi Rama, of releasing a small drone trailing a nationalist Albanian flag during a qualifying soccer match for the 2016 European Championship between Albania and Serbia. Olsi Rama has vehemently denied launching the drone.
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. Video of the event showed some Serbian spectators — Albanian fans were discouraged from attending — 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, expected to overcome historic enmities, was abandoned while the score was still 0-0.
For Albania and Serbia, both struggling to prove their Western credentials so that they can join the European Union, the stadium spectacle could not have come at a worse time. Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania is scheduled to visit Belgrade on Wednesday, the first visit by an Albanian government leader in 70 years. Complicating the meeting is the fact that Serbian officials have accused Mr. Rama’s brother, Olsi Rama, of releasing the incendiary drone from a V.I.P. stand at the stadium — an accusation he has vehemently denied. In a region where ethnic nationalism is seldom far below the surface, the incident has provoked suspected cyberattacks, violence and the lobbing of verbal insults with a fervor usually reserved for the soccer field. The recriminations come at an awkward time when Albania and Serbia are struggling to prove their Western credentials so that they can join the European Union.
On Thursday evening, the Albanian ambassador to Serbia, Ilir Bocka, who had been summoned by Serbian officials for a stern rebuke, told reporters in Belgrade that efforts were being made to try to save the prime minister’s visit, which both sides had earlier described as an example of a new era of reconciliation. On Thursday evening, the Albanian ambassador to Serbia, Ilir Bocka, who had been summoned by Serbian officials for a stern rebuke, told reporters in Belgrade that efforts were being made to try to save the prime minister’s visit, which both sides had earlier described as an example of a new era of reconciliation. He called on the Serbian authorities to “unequivocally condemn the extremist behavior” of spectators at the match, according to Serbian news media reports.
Soccer and nationalism, twin forces in countries as varied as Britain and Brazil, are a particularly potent cocktail when it comes to relations between ethnic Serbs and ethnic Albanians, whose history is marked by civil war and ethnic cleansing. Relations have been particularly tense since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, 2008, almost a decade after NATO bombs helped eject Serbian forces under Slobodan Milosevic from Kosovo, ending a vicious war against Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority.Soccer and nationalism, twin forces in countries as varied as Britain and Brazil, are a particularly potent cocktail when it comes to relations between ethnic Serbs and ethnic Albanians, whose history is marked by civil war and ethnic cleansing. Relations have been particularly tense since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, 2008, almost a decade after NATO bombs helped eject Serbian forces under Slobodan Milosevic from Kosovo, ending a vicious war against Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority.
While Serbia vehemently rejected Kosovo’s independence, Albania ardently applauded it, with some Albanians clamoring to make Kosovo part of Albania. Several players on the Albanian team, including its captain, Lorik Cana, were born in Kosovo when it was part of Serbia. The nationalist flag released at the game, which also featured portraits of two Albanian patriotic leaders, was particularly provocative as it depicted a Greater Albania that included Kosovo and parts of neighboring countries like Greece, Macedonia and Montenegro.While Serbia vehemently rejected Kosovo’s independence, Albania ardently applauded it, with some Albanians clamoring to make Kosovo part of Albania. Several players on the Albanian team, including its captain, Lorik Cana, were born in Kosovo when it was part of Serbia. The nationalist flag released at the game, which also featured portraits of two Albanian patriotic leaders, was particularly provocative as it depicted a Greater Albania that included Kosovo and parts of neighboring countries like Greece, Macedonia and Montenegro.
Petrit Selimi, deputy foreign minister of Kosovo, said it was imperative that the match not be allowed to spoil regional reconciliation, including recently improved ties between Kosovo and Serbia. “I do hope that politicians in both Albania and Serbia will find a way to focus on the progress to be reached in their respective E.U. paths,” he said, “rather than provocations by those hellbent on repeating the violence of the past.”Petrit Selimi, deputy foreign minister of Kosovo, said it was imperative that the match not be allowed to spoil regional reconciliation, including recently improved ties between Kosovo and Serbia. “I do hope that politicians in both Albania and Serbia will find a way to focus on the progress to be reached in their respective E.U. paths,” he said, “rather than provocations by those hellbent on repeating the violence of the past.”
The soccer skirmish rippled across both countries throughout the week, and the Serbian broadcaster B92 reported that several Albanian bakeries in Serbia had been attacked apparently in retaliation, including in Sombor, a town in northern Serbia, where a gasoline bomb was lobbed at a store. Blic, a popular tabloid newspaper, said ethnic Albanian hackers from Kosovo and Albania had attacked its website. In Kosovo, B92 said, ethnic Albanians set fire to a Serbian flag in Mitrovica, an ethnically divided city. The stadium fight even spilled into Austria, where a group of 50 Albanians attacked Serbs dining in a restaurant, the broadcaster said.The soccer skirmish rippled across both countries throughout the week, and the Serbian broadcaster B92 reported that several Albanian bakeries in Serbia had been attacked apparently in retaliation, including in Sombor, a town in northern Serbia, where a gasoline bomb was lobbed at a store. Blic, a popular tabloid newspaper, said ethnic Albanian hackers from Kosovo and Albania had attacked its website. In Kosovo, B92 said, ethnic Albanians set fire to a Serbian flag in Mitrovica, an ethnically divided city. The stadium fight even spilled into Austria, where a group of 50 Albanians attacked Serbs dining in a restaurant, the broadcaster said.
The war of words was equally strong. President Tomislav Nikolic of Serbia was quoted by B92 as saying, “The only thing missing to get an impression there were ties with the world terrorist No. 1 was an explosive device in the craft.” He said that the attack was particularly worrying given the hundreds of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo who he said had gone to fight in Iraq and Syria.The war of words was equally strong. President Tomislav Nikolic of Serbia was quoted by B92 as saying, “The only thing missing to get an impression there were ties with the world terrorist No. 1 was an explosive device in the craft.” He said that the attack was particularly worrying given the hundreds of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo who he said had gone to fight in Iraq and Syria.
In case the insult was unclear, he added that Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe and once cut off from the West during a brutal dictatorship, would take “decades, if not centuries, to become a normal country.”In case the insult was unclear, he added that Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe and once cut off from the West during a brutal dictatorship, would take “decades, if not centuries, to become a normal country.”