The lone and level Albanian sands

[Kyriakos]

In the nice euro2016 qualifying match against Serbia, in Belgrade, a flying (with the use of a drone, purchased by the mafia i suppose, but Neeson will get them soon) flag of "greater Albania" appeared, and caused havoc when a serbian player tried to remove it from the field and got promptly attacked by albanian players. Soon afterwards the game ended

Images of the nice flag of a "greater Albania" ( ).

Delicious that they used 'autochtonous' And yeah, the map shows Albania annexing lands from all around, including part of Epirus and the island of Corfu, eastern Fyromia, some of Montenegro, obviously Kosovo etc.

Random link with those news: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/14/serbia-albania-euro-2016-flag-halted

*

When will Albania join the EU?

 

[gay_Aleks]

Too bad, they'll meet the ambitions of "Greater" Bulgaria, which coincidentally also includes Serbia.

 

[luiz]

Ah, the Balkans.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Come visit for the beautiful nature!

 

[really]

autochtonous -
(of an inhabitant of a place) indigenous rather than descended from migrants or colonists.

I had to look that ome up.

 

[Kyriakos]

^Yes, it is a term literally meaning one who sprung from the earth itself. Used by Demosthenes to his Athenian crowd so as to argue they were more Greek than anyone else.
So it is nice that Albania uses it too. Shouldn't they try some Illyrian term?

 

[gay_Aleks]

Well, far as history is aware, Illyrians were adept in shipbuilding and piracy, two completely unrelated things.

 

[Groff]

When will Albania join the EU?

I think from their perspective the only option is for the EU to join Albania

 

[Borachio]

Isn't Albania governed by the mafia?

And didn't the entire country succumb to some pyramid selling scheme a few years back?

I'd say that Albania has some way to go before it's eligible to apply for EU membership. Though its people really need it to.

Anyway, I'm off. Under Milkwood is now on the radio.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

It is weird when what I thought was mere Internet crazy suddenly enters the real world. Like a rift between dimensions just opened.
And it seems like one of those things where such a rift may destroy both dimensions in a cosmic explosion should it every stay open too long or get too big. Kinda

autochtonous -
(of an inhabitant of a place) indigenous rather than descended from migrants or colonists.

I had to look that ome up.

I did, too. Only to find a German word I had never heard of.

 

[Domen]

one who sprung from the earth itself.

Your compatriot Franklin Waters still believes that Greeks sprung from the earth.

That's the main reason why I stopped bothering to continue talking with him.

 

[warpus]

In the nice euro2016 qualifying match against Serbia, in Belgrade, a flying (with the use of a drone, purchased by the mafia i suppose, but Neeson will get them soon) flag of "greater Albania" appeared, and caused havoc when a serbian player tried to remove it from the field and got promptly attacked by albanian players. Soon afterwards the game ended

This is incorrect, the Albanian players didn't react in any sort of violent manner at all. It was Albanian fans who ran onto the pitch and attempted to retrieve the flag. Serbian fans joined in and a brawl started.

The players are for the most part innocent here, from what I've read in /r/soccer anyway. They just wanted to play, the fans were the ones causing problems.

I should also be mentioned that Serbian fans were chanting anti-Albanian chants (i.e. "Death to the Albanians" and such) during the game.

OP's attempt to paint this as "Albania bad" is misguided. The bias is apparent. Maybe next time do a bit more research before posting?

 

[GinandTonic]

Albania and Serbia were playing both legs with no away fans, since they couldn't be trusted. VIP's etc excepted. The punchup def starts with players. Physios/ stewards etc get stuck in with most gusto but it started with red and white shirts. Still all handbags really, with no-one trying to damage each other.

Since everyone walks away it's comedy gold. Especially the full costume mascot facepalming the whole deal.

 

[Gucumatz]

What was with the claims that the Albanian PM's brother had flew in the drone?

 

[Domen]

Warpus - why don't you just watch:


Link to video.

It can be clearly seen (skip to 1:55) that Albanian players started the fight.

One of Serbian players grabbed the flying flag and took it down. Then Albanian players attacked him.

Only later Albanian and Serbian fans joined in, to help the players of their respective teams.

What was with the claims that the Albanian PM's brother had flew in the drone?

In ??? He remote controlled it.

 

[Gucumatz]

"Flew in" is part of the same verb action. Might have been correct to have said "flown in" instead, basically meaning ushered in. Not that he was actually in the drone

 

[Domen]

Gucumatz - OK.

OP's attempt to paint this as "Albania bad" is misguided. The bias is apparent.

Albania organized the provocation (and it is said that it was brother's of Albanian PM drone).

Then Albanian players started the fight, which can be seen in the video I posted. What the Serbs did was merely taking down the flag, and the flag flying so close to one of Serbian players was undoubtedly a deliberate provocation as well (the guy operating the drone apparently wanted Serbs to grab it).

Isn't Albania governed by the mafia?

That's Kosovo. Albania is the biggest pillbox of Europe, on the other hand.

 

[Gucumatz]

But yea what evidence is there that it was flown in by Albanians? It doesn't seem like there is anyway to prove/disprove the idea.

Both FAs are going to receive some degree of punishment for this, I just wonder what this match will be recorded as. The biggest problem for the Albanians is that after the stadium was emptied out they refused to come back and finish the match. Serbia has precedents where it was given 3-0 losses for fan conduct, but Albania's actions might supersede Serbia's problems.

 

[Domen]

But yea what evidence is there that it was flown in by Albanians?

Serbians would rather use a flag of Greater Serbia, not a flag of Greater Albania - don't you think?

And those who are neither Serbians nor Albanians are rather not interested in provoking fights between the two.

Except for the US government, Nazi Germany or other external power interested in keeping the Balkans in chaos.

 

[warpus]

It can be clearly seen (skip to 1:55) that Albanian players started the fight.

I looked at the video, you can't really tell what's happening.


Link to video.

In this video it can be seen that the players don't react at first - it's a fan that runs onto the pitch with a chair who starts the violence. After the chair hits a player in the head, that's when everyone else gets involved. At first the Albanian players are just standing around, not reacting. One of them can be seen trying to run after the flag, but he isn't throwing any punches. He just wants to get at the flag.

So saying that Albanian players started the fight is very very incorrect.

People are making it sound like "Albania" did something wrong here. .. .. A couple Albanian fans are responsible for the drone, not the Albanian PM's uncle, or whatever it is that Serbian tabloids are claiming.

Both sides are in the wrong here.. It's a bit amusing (and annoying) to see Albania villainized so much here.