FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Albanian player Merlind Dakho was suspended for two games Sunday after leading fans in nationalistic chants at the European Championship, which UEFA said brought soccer into disrepute.
Daku took the megaphone after Albania 2-2 draw with Croatia On Wednesday in Hamburg they joined in chanting slogans against Serbia and North Macedonia.
The events and fallout from the match in Hamburg were the most serious in terms of Balkan politics at the European Championship, with the region’s biggest ever team taking part – and providing a space for some fans to voice their issues.
UEFA said its disciplinary judges found Dacko guilty of “failing to adhere to general principles of conduct, violating basic rules of decent behaviour, using sporting events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature, and bringing the sport of football into disrepute.” “.
UEFA also ordered the Albanian Football Association to pay fines totaling 47,250 euros ($50,500) over incidents at the match in which its fans chanted an anti-Serb slogan said to be “Kill the Serbs.”
The Serbian Football Federation said it would do so Leave the tournament if UEFA He was not punished for the events.
On the field, Albania plays a decisive group stage match on Monday against Spain. If Albania qualifies, Dakho will also miss the round of 16.
Dacko later apologized for his actions in a social media post, with UEFA appointing an internal investigator to examine his “alleged inappropriate behaviour”.
The 26-year-old striker started playing for Albania last year after using his right under FIFA rules to change his eligibility from Kosovo, the former Serbian province of Albanian origins which declared independence 16 years ago.
UEFA also announced charges against member associations Albania and Croatia over “potential racist and/or discriminatory behaviour” by fans on Wednesday.
However, only Albania was fined for “transmitting provocative messages unsuitable for a sporting event.” The Croatian Federation was fined only 27,500 euros ($29,400) for fans setting fire to fireworks on the field.
The Albanian Football Association called on fans to be “responsible and avoid accidents and riots.”
“The Albanian Football Federation calls on fans and football lovers to support the Albanian national team until the end in this magical and historic path at Euro 2024 by showing citizenship and accountability through correct behavior and respect for rules and opponents,” a statement read.
Albania put in an impressive performance at Euro 2024, losing the opening match 2-1 to Italy, then drawing 2-2 with Croatia.
And with three national teams at Euro 2024 from the former Yugoslavia – Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia – as well as Kosovo’s neighbor Albania, fans showed that their shared history in the brutal Balkan war in the 1990s and diplomatic issues since then cannot be easily forgotten.
Nationalist chants raised levels of hostility at Euro 2024, as provocative banners, such as flags bearing maps, were raised. He is expected to bring politics In ten stadiums in Germany.
Serbia and Albania were both fined by UEFA after their opening match for fans for “conveying a provocative message”. They were each charged 10,000 euros ($10,700) for the first violation.
The banner of the Serbian masses around Kosovo also led to FIFA trial related to players At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Serbia considers Kosovo the cradle of its state and its Orthodox Christian religion, and is among many European countries that do not recognize its independence.
In Germany last week, UEFA revoked the accreditation of a TV journalist from Kosovo after he made the Albanian eagle gesture while broadcasting pitchside to Serbian fans.
The Balkans’ participation in Euro 2024 would have been five if Bosnia and Herzegovina had qualified for the qualifiers in March, which Ukraine won.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, a Slovenian lawyer who grew up in the former Yugoslavia, said while attending Serbia’s crucial qualifying match in November that he “certainly would like” as many teams from the region as possible to qualify.
UEFA has a decision to make this year that could be highly symbolic of the sport’s ability to unite, with the draw ceremony barring any pairing between teams from Kosovo against Serb or Bosnian opponents for security reasons.
the The Albanian and Serbian football federations have cooperatedDespite opposition from many fans, they are trying to co-host the European Under-21 Championship in 2027. The other two candidates are Belgium and Turkey.
UEFA’s Executive Committee, which includes Albanian Vice President Armand Duka, is scheduled to vote on the host country for the 2027 tournament next December.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report by Lazar Semini in Tirana, Albania.
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Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
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