Euro 2024: Kosovo is participating, but discussion is becoming topic

The first days of Euro 2024 ʹ that began on June 14th were marked with several incidents, in which fans of the Western Balkan countries, Albania and Serbia in particular were involved, but also a footballer and a sports journalist.

But most of the incidents focused on Kosovo, whose independence Serbia does not recognise.

What happened, and who got involved?

U n EFA has fined Albania and Serbia for incidents caused by their fans, and is investigating Albania and its assailant, Mirlind Daku, for other incidents.

The Albanian Football Federation (FSHF) was sentenced to a total fine of 37.375 euros from the U. EFA, due to its fans' behaviour in losing 2:1 against Italy, in the Group B opening match on June 15th, in Dortmund.

On an announcement, June 19, UEFA said that, among other things, it sentenced the FSHF to 10,000 euros due to “conveying provocative, inappropriate messages for a sport event”.

Albania's fans unveiled a banner with their country's flag extending borders within the territory of neighbouring countries, during that match and during the match against Croatia on 19 June. It was reported that they also unveiled a flag with the coat of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK).

Serbia, on the other hand, was fined 10,000 euros after the Discipline and Ethics Commission of U n EFA found that its fans “conveyed provocative messages, inappropriate for a sport event”, as well as 4,500 euros for the drop of items in the field, to a 1:0 loss against England, on 16 June, in Gelsenkirchen.

Before that match, seven Serbian fans were arrested because of a clash with English fans in the western German town.

The Kosovo Football Federation (FFK) filed a complaint at UEFA for, as it has said, the display of flags, slogans and calls of Serbian fans with “political, chauvinist and racist anti-Kosovo” during the Serbia-English match. / REL/