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

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

2025-06-06 16:52 Last Updated At：17:11

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The roar of the crowd or the thrill of the game are hallmarks of international soccer. But when Albania and Serbia meet Saturday in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, the energy 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 most 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 2015, when Serbia won 2-0 even though Serbian fans were banned from the match.

A 2014 game between the teams in Belgrade was abandoned when a drone carrying an Albanian flag sparked a full-scale brawl. Albania was awarded a 3-0 victory after a ruling said the match couldn’t be continued due to the hostile environment at the stadium. That clinched Albania's qualification to the 2016 European Championship — a first for the team.

That match had already been considered high risk. Kosovo, which has a majority Albanian population, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 — 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 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 game.

Albania defender Elseid Hysaj, who was part of the 2014 match, said the chaos "should not be repeated."

“We should be calm and be conscious that we are football players," he said. “We are here to please the fans and give our best for the victory.”

Armand Duka, president of the Albanian Football Federation, called on Albanians to see the match as a sports event “where the team gets support and positive energy from the fans to achieve the goal.”

“We want to give the message: let’s live it as a sport festivity,” Duka told 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 environment,” Duka said.

The sides have taken steps to forge a better relationship. Albania and Serbia will co-host the men’s Under-21 European Championship in 2027 in a project that aims to overcome political tensions.

“Players do not bear the burden of history or of the political tensions,” Duka said. “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 game.”

Although political tensions have somewhat subsided in recent 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, recently 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 said, addressing Stojkovic who was in the crowd.

Stojkovic and some players have tried to ease tensions, saying it is just another match.

“Everyone says that the first game is very important," Stojkovic said 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.

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Trump's ceasefire plan faces great uncertainty as it moves into a new phase

JERUSALEM (AP) — The White House says it is moving into the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan – breathing new life into a proposal that aims to rebuild the war-ravaged area and reshape the wider Middle East.

Trump’s Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, broke the news Wednesday in a post on X, saying the new phase will include the establishment of a transitional Palestinian governing committee and begin the complicated tasks of disarming Hamas and reconstruction.

But the announcement included few details about the new Palestinian committee or other key aspects of the plan, signaling just how much work lies ahead.

Trump's 20-point plan — which was approved by the U.N. Security Council — lays out an ambitious vision for ending Hamas’ rule in Gaza. If successful, it would see the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision, the normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world, and the creation of a possible pathway to Palestinian independence.

But if the deal stalls, Gaza could be trapped in an unstable limbo for years to come, with Hamas remaining in control of parts of the territory, Israel’s army enforcing an open-ended occupation, and its residents stuck homeless, unemployed, unable to travel abroad and dependent on international aid to stay alive.

“We’re going to do our best to try and see if we can work with the Palestinian people to try something new,” said a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the evolving plan. “It will be hard to do,” he acknowledged.

Here is a closer look at the next stages of the ceasefire and the potential pitfalls.

The ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, halting two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas. It also included the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel.

The ceasefire has largely held, though both sides accuse each other of ongoing violations. Israeli fire has killed more than 400 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. Israel says it has targeted militants or responded to violations of the ceasefire, but the Palestinians say scores of civilians have been shot.

Palestinian militants, meanwhile, continue to hold the remains of the last hostage — an Israeli police officer killed in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear he is in no rush to move forward until the remains are returned.

Netanyahu appeared to play down Witkoff’s announcement as symbolic, calling the creation of a new Palestinian committee a “ declarative move.”

The new committee will consist of independent Palestinian experts who are to run Gaza’s daily affairs under American supervision.

Wednesday’s announcement didn't say who will serve on the committee. But the other mediators of the ceasefire — Egypt, Turkey and Qatar — said it would be led by Ali Shaath, an engineer and former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

The U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said other names are expected in the next two days, and the committee will focus on attracting investment and improving the quality of life.

“This really will be a technocratic committee,” he said. “They seem to be a group that wants to have peace.”

The committee will report to the Board of Peace, a group of world leaders supervising the ceasefire and led by Trump. If the Palestinian committee is seen as just a façade, it risks not gaining public support.

Also, its exact powers remain unclear. Hamas has said it will dissolve its government once the committee takes office, but it has shown no signs that it will dismantle its military wing or security forces.

The board will oversee the ceasefire, reconstruction and an open-ended reform process by the Palestinian Authority, with the goal of one day allowing the internationally recognized authority to return to Gaza to govern.

The U.S. official said invitations for the board have been extended, but he declined to name any of the people expected to join. “It’s going to be a great list,” he said.

The key challenge will be forming a board that can work with Israel, Hamas, the mediators and international aid agencies.

One key appointment appears to have been made. Nickolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and U.N. Mideast envoy, is expected to serve as the board’s on-the-ground representative. He already has met with Netanyahu and Palestinian leaders in the occupied West Bank.

Trump's plan calls for the formation of an International Stabilization Force to maintain security and train Palestinian police to one day to take over. That force hasn't been formed yet, and a deployment date hasn't been announced.

The U.S. official insisted there is “great excitement” over the force and said there would be important announcements in the coming weeks.

But the force’s command structure and authorities remain unknown.

Hamas said it will oppose any attempts by the force to disarm it, and contributing nations may not to want to risk clashes with the militant group. Israel, meanwhile, is hesitant to trust an international body with its security needs.

Trump’s plan calls for an economic development outline to “rebuild and energize Gaza,” which suffered widespread destruction during the war and where most of the territory’s 2 million people are displaced and unemployed.

Still, no such plan has been announced, and it remains unclear who will pay for a process the U.N. estimates will cost $70 billion.

The ceasefire deal calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons under the supervision of international monitors. Militants who disarm will be granted amnesty and the option to leave Gaza.

However, Hamas, whose ideology is based on armed resistance against Israel, has said it won't disarm until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian territories.

Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told The Associated Press last month that the group is open to “ freezing or storing” its weapons while a political process takes place, perhaps over many years. It is unclear whether that would be sufficient for Israel.

Failure to disarm Hamas could lead to renewed fighting with Israel and clashes with international troops, and could block progress on the rest of the peace plan.

Under the ceasefire, Israel is to withdraw from all of Gaza, with the exception of a small buffer zone along the border. At the moment, Israel retains control of just over half of Gaza.

The plan says further withdrawals will be based upon “standards, milestones and timeframes linked to demilitarization” to be negotiated by Israel, the U.S., the international force and other “guarantors.”

There are no firm timelines for further withdrawals, and Israel may refuse to pull back further.

The plan calls for an overhaul of the Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Bank, and the creation of conditions for a “credible pathway” to Palestinian statehood.

Palestinian officials say they have begun making reforms in key areas such as corruption, the education system and payments to families of prisoners convicted in attacks on Israelis.

Israel rejects the creation of a Palestinian state and opposes any role for the authority in postwar Gaza. Without a pathway to statehood, any Palestinian support for the new system could crumble. The plan also offers no clear benchmarks or timelines for the reform process.