Belgrade: Serbia’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that an incident, in which a pro-Albanian banner flown by a drone sparked violence on and off the pitch at a Serbia-Albania football match, was a “political provocation”.
The Euro 2016 qualifying tie between the Balkan rivals had to be abandoned on Tuesday after the drone carrying a flag bearing a ‘Greater Albania’ message flew low over the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade.
The banner was pulled down by Serbian player Stefan Mitrovic, triggering a brawl between the two teams.
Fifa boss Sepp Blatter said football “should never be used for political messages”, while the head of European governing body Uefa, Michel Platini, said the incident was “inexcusable”.
The match descended into chaos as a handful of the 20,000 Serbian spectators ran on to the pitch and tried to assault the Albanian players.
English referee Martin Atkinson ordered the teams off the pitch as smoke bombs and other missiles rained down from the stands.
Albanian fans had been banned from attending the match.
The European Commission said it was “disappointed” by the violence and praised Belgrade’s “professionalism” in dealing with the situation.
The incident threatens to hamper next Wednesday’s visit to Serbia of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, the first of its kind in 68 years.
Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said the drone incident was a pre-planned “provocation” and blamed Rama’s brother Olsi Rama for orchestrating the stunt but the latter denied the claims.
“What is particularly disturbing is that it is the work of the brother of the Albanian prime minister, who is about to be hosted by Belgrade,” Dacic said.
Albanian officials were unable to comment on whether the prime minister intended to go ahead with the Serbia trip.
“The goal of Rama’s visit to Belgrade is completely different from what has happened” during the match, deputy prime minister Niko Peleshi said.
Serbia’s interior ministry said Rama’s brother was arrested over the incident and claimed he had controlled the drone from his seat in the stadium’s executive box.
But Olsi Rama, who later returned to Tirana with the Albanian team to a hero’s welcome from thousands of fans, said he had “nothing to do with the drone.”
“I don’t understand where this story came from,” he said.
“I was neither arrested nor detained,” he said, saying that he had merely been asked by Serbian police to show his US passport and his camera.
Platini had been “deeply saddened by the events in Belgrade last night”, Uefa spokesperson Pedro Pinto said.
“Football is supposed to bring people together and our game should not be mixed with politics of any kind. The scenes in Belgrade last night were inexcusable,” the spokesperson quoted Platini as saying.
Uefa is expected to formally open an investigation into the events later on Wednesday after studying reports from the match referee and coordinator.
Blatter added: “Football should never be used for political messages. I strongly condemn what happened in Belgrade last night.”
