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The match between Albania and Serbia, scheduled to be played this Saturday, has ended up on the front pages of the world's media. Recently, the American news agency, "Associated Press", has done a very interesting article.
“ In 2014, Albania was awarded a 3-0 victory on the scoresheet after a decision stating that the game could not continue due to a hostile atmosphere in the stadium. This victory ensured Albania’s qualification for the 2016 European Championship — the first time in history for the Albanian national team.
Even before the match, the match had been described as high-stakes. Kosovo, which has a majority Albanian population, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 — an act that Serbia does not recognize. Football, often a mirror of nationalism and politics, reflected this deep division.
Serbia and Albania continue to have disagreements over the status of now-independent Kosovo, and rivalry among fans remains fierce.
Almost half of the Albanian team consists of players of Albanian origin from Kosovo, North Macedonia or southern Serbia.
For the players, it's a match shrouded in history, politics and national pride — a reminder that sometimes sports aren't just a game , the AP wrote.
Defender Elseid Hysaj, who was part of the October 2014 match, also spoke about the match, saying that the chaos "should not be repeated."
" We have to be calm and aware that we are footballers. We are here to please the fans and give our best for victory ," Hysaj told "AP."
The president of the Albanian Football Federation, Armand Duka, also spoke about the match, and once again called on Albanians to see the match against Serbia as a sporting event, where "the team receives support and positive energy from the fans to achieve the goal."
" Players do not carry the burden of history or political tensions. They compete on the field to win, to give their best for the jersey they represent and, above all, to build bridges of respect through the game ," Duka told the AP.
The Associated Press also mentioned the statement of what they called Serbia's "populist president," Aleksandar Vučić, who, according to them, added to the tension by telling Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic, at a large gathering of his supporters, that Serbia "must win."
" Go there and beat them ," Vucic told Piks, the nickname of the Serbia coach, who was in the crowd, writes "AP".
Meanwhile, according to the AP, Stojkovic and some players have attempted to ease tensions, saying that this is just another match.
" Everyone says that the first match is very important. We are very focused on starting it the way we want and we will prepare to play as best we can, with all due respect to Albania ."
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