Albania and Serbia face off in a politically charged World Cup qualifier

TIRANA Albania AP The roar of the crowd or the thrill of the tournament are hallmarks of international soccer But when Albania and Serbia meet Saturday in a World Cup qualifier the vigor will be different The match in Tirana isn t just about three points as echoes of past confrontations are impossible to ignore It s a clash deeply rooted in national identities that organizers are fighting hard to put aside It is one of the the majority politically charged and emotionally intense rivalries in European football rooted in deep historical and ethnic tensions especially relating to the Kosovo conflict and broader Balkan history Serbia and Albania are in the same European qualifying group alongside England Latvia and Andorra The last time they met on Albanian soil was in when Serbia won - even though Serbian fans were banned from the match The Belgrade brawl fresh in memories A challenge between the teams in Belgrade was abandoned when a drone carrying an Albanian flag sparked a full-scale brawl Albania was awarded a - win after a ruling noted the match couldn t be continued due to the hostile milieu at the stadium That clinched Albania s qualification to the European Championship a first for the club That match had already been considered high peril Kosovo which has a majority Albanian population declared independence from Serbia in a move Serbia does not recognize Football often a mirror of nationalism and politics reflected this deep divide As Tirana braces for the latest showdown memories of that night and the nationalistic fervor it unleashed hover just beneath the surface Serbia s tense ties with Kosovo Serbia and Albania remain at odds over the status of now-independent Kosovo and fan rivalry is still intense Almost half of the Albanian squad is of Albanian origin from Kosovo North Macedonia or southern Serbia For players this is a contest overshadowed by history politics and national pride a reminder that sometimes sport is anything but just a contest Albania defender Elseid Hysaj who was part of the match disclosed the chaos should not be repeated We should be calm and be conscious that we are football players he commented We are here to please the fans and give our best for the achievement Organizers remind fans it s a meeting Armand Duka president of the Albanian Football Federation called on Albanians to see the match as a sports event where the association gets assistance and positive capacity from the fans to achieve the goal We want to give the message let s live it as a sport festivity Duka informed The Associated Press There will be a heavy police presence road closures and searches of fans entering the stadium Serbian fans are barred which will contribute to a quieter circumstances Duka explained The sides have taken efforts to forge a better relationship Albania and Serbia will co-host the men s Under- European Championship in in a project that aims to overcome political tensions Players do not bear the burden of history or of the political tensions Duka reported They compete on the pitch to win to give the best for the jersey they represent and above all to build the bridge of respect through the competition Nationalists and soccer fans at odds Although political tensions have somewhat subsided in newest years nationalists and soccer fans on both sides are deeply at odds Both Albania and Serbia have faced sanctions from European soccer s governing body because of politically-charged incidents involving fans Serbia s populist President Aleksandar Vucic however in the last few days added fuel by telling Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic at a big rally of his supporters that Serbia must win Go there and beat them he announced addressing Stojkovic who was in the crowd Stojkovic and several players have tried to ease tensions saying it is just another match Everyone says that the first tournament is very essential Stojkovic reported of Serbia s opener in Group K We are very focused on starting the way we want to and we will prepare to play the best we can in that sense with all due respect to Albania Associated Press writer Dusan Stojanovic contributed from Belgrade Serbia AP soccer https apnews com hub soccer Source