Albania host Serbia for Euro 2016 qualifier amid tight security

A year after their match in Belgrade was abandoned due to violence, Albania host Serbia in a crucial Euro 2016 qualifier on Thursday.

The bitter rivals will meet in the Albanian city of Elbasan amid high-level security after last October's match had to be brought to a halt when violence broke out both on and off the pitch.

The incident escalated into a political crisis and highlighted the fragile relations between the two Balkan nations.

Serbian fans hurled smoke bombs and invaded the pitch to attack Albanian players after a drone carrying a nationalist flag bearing a map of "Greater Albania" flew over the stadium.

Authorities in Belgrade said the act was a "premeditated political provocation", but Albania argued the incident started before the drone flew over, when Serbian fans chanted "Death to Albanians" and "Kill Albanians".

Beyond the sporting context, the abandoned match led to heated exchanges between Belgrade and Tirana. A visit by Prime Minister Edi Rama -- the first by an Albanian government leader to Serbia for 68 years -- had to be postponed for three weeks.

Bilateral relations have traditionally been frosty, especially since Kosovo, a former province of Serbia populated by mostly ethnic Albanians, declared independence in 2008 -- a move not recognised by Belgrade.

Under pressure from Brussels, Serbia and Albania have nevertheless worked to normalise relations, with both aspiring to join the European Union.

After Rama visited Belgrade, his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic paid a historic visit to Tirana in May, and both men have pledged to turn the page with the common goal of preserving stability in the Balkans.

- 'No to racism' -

Thursday's match in Elbasan, 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of Tirana, has however raised fears that bilateral tensions could rise again.

The slightest incident could dash Albania's dream of qualifying for the European Championships for the first time in their history, and players of the national team have appealed to the public with the message: "No to racism, respect the anthems, do not provoke incidents".

As many as 1,500 police officers are being deployed to ensure the match goes smoothly, and those living in buildings around the stadium have been asked to deny entry to non-family members.

The tickets are personalised and the police will carry out stringent checks to prevent any trouble-makers from entering, according to the Albanian Football Association.

All tickets carry a message calling for "fair play and respect of the opponents, the rules and the result of the match".

"Any incident would be harmful to the Albanian team, its image and its ambitions," it adds.

The match, like the one in Belgrade, will be played without the presence of away supporters -- except for 70 Serbian students in the stadium who are in Albania as part of a European project on the Balkans.

Serbia, who have no chance of qualifying, come to Elbasan seeking revenge after the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July awarded a 3-0 win to Albania for the aborted game, deeming the Serbian FA responsible for the match not being played in full.

"We all want to spoil their plans and beat them so that they do not qualify," Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic said recently.

Albania, currently third in Group I with 11 points, also have to play Armenia on October 11 in Yerevan.

Albania are a point behind Denmark in the second and final automatic qualifying position but the latter only have one game remaining away to group leaders Portugal, who only need one more point from two games to book their place in France.
Source: AFP