The Albanian FA released a detailed statement that alleges AFA President Armando Duka "was hit with a piece of concrete and players were attacked by supporters, security personnel and the police after the Euro 2016 qualifier against Serbia in Belgrade on Tuesday," according to the London GUARDIAN. UEFA charged both the Serbian and Albanian FAs after the match held at Partizan Stadium was abandoned by the English referee Martin Atkinson following a mass brawl, triggered when a drone carrying the insignia of so-called "Greater Albania" was flown over the field of play. On Wednesday, the Serbian FA accused their opponents of a "pre-planned terrorist action" and blamed Albania's players for refusing to re-start the match (GUARDIAN, 10/16). The BBC reported Albania players were left "emotionally shaken and psychologically distraught" by the violence. In a lengthy and emotive statement, the Albanian FA condemned the "racist violence" of the Serbia players and "negative propaganda" of their FA. The statement, written by Albanian FA Marketing & PR Dir Gazmend Malo, said, "With cuts and bruises and bloody traumas to the head, the Albanian side was understandably emotionally shaken and psychologically distraught, unable to play the beautiful game in such an ugly, ugly situation" (BBC, 10/16). REUTERS' Matt Robinson reported Serbia said on Thursday that Albania was "not mature enough" to join the European community. Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic's remarks "cast further doubt" on a scheduled visit by Albanian PM Edi Rama to Belgrade next week, the first of its kind in almost 70 years. Stefanovic: "If Albania believes that European values are the values of so-called 'Greater Albania,' then the Serbian Republic cannot share them by any means, and hence we believe that they are not mature enough as a state to join the European family" (REUTERS, 10/16).
