The football match for the qualification to Euro 2016, played yesterday between Serbia and Albania, has caused a political crisis and each of the countries claims that this incident must be condemned. Let me recall that the match was interrupted at the end of the first time, after a drone with a flag appeared over the stadium. We have on the phone Albanian Prime Minister, Mr Edi Rama.

Mr Rama, thank you for accepting to answer our questions this evening to “Paris Direct”. Your brother was involved in this incident. Did he or did he not have any role in all this? 

Prime Minister Rama: First of all, let me say that it is ridiculous that people cling to a flag flying over the stadium where thousands of Serbian flags and symbols were unfurled, and where no Albanian fans were allowed, precisely with the intent to avoid that the situation deteriorated. And, above all I must stress that until that moment a lot of other things were going on. I have always seen that in Europe, when an anthem is being sung people keep silent, whereas our anthem was accompanied by the screams “Kill Albanians”.

 

Could you please answer my question whether your brother was involved in this story?

Prime Minister Rama: I already answered saying that this is absolutely ridiculous and my brother was there with another 50 Albanians who were there to support our team and who had regular tickets given by the Albanian Football Federation. My brother was in the VIP galley, and Albanians underwent controls at the entrance of the stadium, so there was no chance they could bring a drone in there and make it fly over the stadium. All this is part of a desperate effort to blame Albania when, unfortunately, that football match was transformed into an arena of unacceptable and insupportable racial and ethnic hatred.

 

Mr Prime Minister, on October 22 you are expected to be on an historic visit to Serbia. Has everything that happened compromised this visit?

Prime Minister Rama: I am very sorry for everything happened in the stadium, because it was responsibility of Serbian authorities to guarantee safety in the stadium throughout the match. And I am even sorrier that, instead of condemning violence and distance themselves from this unacceptable show for Europe, the Serbian government chose to follow Serbian fans and those who ruined the image of football and the image of their country. Whereas, we chose another road, the road of behaving like Europeans by not responding to the nationalist and brutal rhetoric, we chose to continue on our road towards the future and to continue working for peace, cooperation and dialogue among countries in the region which, after 100 years, is experiencing its first year without any conflict. So, this retrocession is unacceptable, likewise these ridiculous discussions about a flag that offends the honour of a country.

 

Thank you very much for answering Mr Prime Minister; it is understandable that your visit to Serbia will depend on the reaction of Serbian authorities.