Albania were awarded a victory over Serbia by the top sports court on Friday in a reversal of a UEFA sanction over a soccer game that was abandoned when a drone with a political banner flew into the stadium and sparked violence.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided that Albania had not refused to play on in a hostile atmosphere in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, in October last year, as European soccer’s governing body had initially ruled.
The CAS ruled that Serbia were responsible for the European Championship qualifier not being completed and had to forfeit the match. Serbia had been awarded a default 3-0 victory by UEFA, but then deducted three points and ordered to play its next two qualifiers in an empty stadium.
Serbia have still been deducted three points, but now Albania have been awarded the 3-0 win in the Euro 2016 qualifying group.
Based on the CAS ruling, Albania are now level on 10 points with second-placed Denmark in Group I, which is led by Portugal. Serbia are now last on minus-two points.
However, the CAS did confirm UEFA’s ruling that Albania were responsible for the drone carrying an Albanian nationalist banner hovering above the field. UEFA’s decision to fine both federations 100,000 euros (US$112,000) was also upheld by the CAS as Serbia’s appeal was completely dismissed.
Tensions between the nations were fueled by Kosovo declaring independence from Serbia in 2008.
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic called the CAS ruling a “global injustice.”
“Those who caused the incident have been awarded, while the victim has been punished,” Vucic said. “The ruling ... is a shame for law and justice and an insult to all normal people.”
The Balkan nations are scheduled for a return match in Albania on Oct. 8.
Addressing Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Twitter, Vucic wrote: “We’ll win the match, without drones and anybody’s help in the stadium.”
Rama responded by inviting Vucic to the game, tweeting: “We can applaud together the winners.”
Thousands of Albanian fans gathered late on Friday to celebrate at Mother Teresa Square in downtown Tirana, where a big screen and loudspeakers broadcast national songs.
The Oct. 14 match was stopped in the 41st minute when the drone appeared, prompting clashes among players. Serbia fans also attacked Albania team members and threw flares onto the field.
The CAS said it was unable to confirm that the referee issued a “clear, direct and unconditional order to the players to resume the match” with their safety assured. The CAS blamed the abandonment on Serbian “security lapses” and “acts of violence exerted on the Albanian players by the Serbian fans and at least one security steward.”
The ruling makes the pursuit of the two automatic qualification places for the Euro 2016 finals in France tighter, with Denmark ahead of Albania only on goal difference, but with a game in hand.
Denmark coach Morten Olsen said qualifying is now “more difficult” after calling the ruling “completely incomprehensible.”
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