Serbia threatens to withdraw from Euro 2024 because of Albania and Croatia. Their fans chanted “Kill the Serbs!”

The General Secretary of the Football Union of Serbia (FSU), Jovan Surbatovic, threatened to withdraw the country’s national team from the European Championship if UEFA does not punish Albania and Croatia for offensive chants of their fans against the Serbs.

This is not the first incident at the Euro involving two countries, whose political and national confrontation also results in conflicts in football. Earlier, Serbian and English fans fought in Gelsenkirchen, but the Albanians were allegedly the instigators. In addition, a Kosovo journalist staged a provocation in front of the Serbian stands at the match with England.

In addition, a player of the Albanian national team playing for a Russian club also made an offensive gesture.

Albanians and Croats celebrated with a chant about the massacre of Serbs

Jovan Surbatović said that the FSF sent a request to UEFA to punish the football associations of Croatia and Albania for the chants of their fans, which they shouted the day before, on June 19, at a match between the two teams (the meeting ended with a score of 2:2).

It is alleged that in the 59th minute of the game, fans of both teams chanted “Kill, kill, kill the Serb.”

Surbatovich added that the FSS will demand a fine from UEFA. “We are confident that they will be punished because UEFA has already responded to our call to ban the so-called journalist from Albania from the Euro. We will demand that UEFA punish both associations [Хорватии и Албании]. We would not like to participate in this, but if UEFA does not punish them, we will think about how we will proceed further,” explained the secretary general.

The Albanian footballer also insulted the Serbs

After the match between Croatia and Albania, the latter’s forward Mirlind Daku, who plays for the Russian Rubin, also shouted an insulting chant. After the match, he approached the fans, picked up a megaphone and chanted harsh words against the Serbs and Macedonians. The stands, as noted, supported his charge.

The North Macedonian Football Federation has already responded to Daku’s antics. They called on the Albanian to publicly apologize, and the relevant institutions to investigate the incident and take disciplinary measures. “The Macedonian Football Federation will send an official letter to UEFA regarding this scandalous behavior,” it added.

The Kazan club also responded to the incident. “Our club does not support any offensive actions or gestures. The player was at the disposal of the national team, but, of course, we regret that such a situation occurred. As for sanctions against the player, this is the prerogative of UEFA,” said Rubin.

And Daku’s agent Haris Fakic tried to justify the player by saying that due to the noise in the stadium, he allegedly did not hear what the fans were chanting. “As soon as they started charging, Daku put the megaphone down and gave it away,” Fakic said.

Earlier, the British and Albanians attacked a bar with Serbs

Even before the match of the first round of the Euro between Serbia and England in Gelsenkirchen, where the game took place, a fight broke out between fans of the national teams. At the same time, there is evidence that it was the Albanians who provoked it. They allegedly convinced the British to attack the Serbs who were in the bar. As a result, the British fans who entered the establishment first took the brunt of the brawl. At the same time, most of the Albanians managed to escape from the scene of the fight.

The son of Serbian President Danilo Vucic also tried to take part in the fight. There are shots where you can see how he bypasses his bodyguards and enters into a fight with the British.

In addition, already at the stadium, Kosovo journalist Arlind Sadiku staged a provocation at the podium with fans of the Serbian national team. The correspondent was reporting on television, and then turned to the fans and with his hands depicted a double-headed black eagle – an element of the national flag of Albania. It is also considered an international gesture by Albanian units who participated in the ethnic cleansing of Serbs during the conflicts in the Balkans. After this, foreign objects were thrown at the journalist from the stands, and he had to leave the side of the field. The Serbian Football Federation demanded that UEFA revoke its accreditation.

UEFA fined Serbia itself

The antics of the Serbian fans themselves also led to sanctions. The UEFA Disciplinary Commission fined the FSS 14,500 euros. 4,500 euros were issued for the Serbs throwing objects onto the field during a match with England, and another 10,000 for “a provocative message at a match that is not suitable for a sporting event.”

Surbatovich explained that the antics of Serbian fans were isolated incidents. “Our fans behaved much better than others. One fan was punished for racial slurs and we don’t want this to be attributed to others. We Serbs are gentlemen and we have an open heart, so I encourage the fans to remain gentlemen,” he said.