Zastava Kosovo at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade, Apologies for Serbia’s Football Association – BBC News in Serbian

Several flags in a row, and a pillar on which it says « 49. Congress of UEFA, Belgrade, 2025 » and at the end of Kosovo’s flag, in addition to which image President of Kosovo Football Association Agim Ademi.

That shotcreated in the Sava Center, one of Belgrade’s most famous Congress centers, 3. April appeared in many media.

In the capital of Serbia, the UEFA Congress, Roof Organizations of European Football, whose Kosovo is a long-term member, as well as international football federation (FIFA).

Official Belgrade does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, declared 2008. years, and complicated political relations often cause tensions in the field of sports.

From the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) are first for Sportclub denied that the Kosovo flag was highlighted.

However, new followed announcement In which they are about « missing organizers, » that is, UEFA, which « one participant tried to use for non-formal interests ».

On social media, primarily the profiles of the Belgrade Football Club of the Red Star, was published and shot Which one sees how the group of people fell the Kosovo flag in front of the Sava Center.

The BBC did not confirm the authenticity of that shot.

« We reacted together, quickly and decisively and with full responsibility, we will not have any flags in Belgrade in Belgrade, nor flags of the so-called. Kosovo, » FSS announced.

« We apologize to every citizen and every member of our people, especially our people in Kosovo and Metohija, which disturbed and injured the omission of the organizer who immediately been eliminated by our reaction. »

The UEFA Congress in Belgrade describes as « one of the most important events in our country », because the FSS « hosts the most important football people of Europe and the world. »

The opening was attended and President of the Government of Serbia in the resignation of Milos Vučević.

The new round of tension happens at the time of the announcement that Serbia and Albania will organize the European Football Championship together until 17. years.

From the Football Association of Kosovo (FSK) until the moment of publication of the text, they did not respond to the BBC journalists on the UEFA Congress and allegedly on its ignition.

Admi, the President of the FSK, did not respond to the messages and calls.

Serbia, Kosovo and sports

Potential encounters of Kosovo and Serbian athletes are always caused by many tensions, which is why competition organizers generally prevent them from coming to them.

It is a big question and who is allowed to play matches in Kosovo and in which competition.

Some clubs from the territory of Kosovo, who want to perform in the competitions of the Football Association of Serbia, is prohibited in 2023. years.

Then they received a letter that « sports events can be organized only in line with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Kosovo ».

The FSS was therefore written by UEFA, stating that « Serbs in Kosovo was endangered to play sports ».

Hajrula Ceku reacted to that, the Kosovo Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, ordering that this letter « blames reality ».

Kosovo’s football alliance for years from Kosovo institutions and police requires the ban on « illegal competition » not part of the Kosovo system.

That is why they sent letters to UEFA and FIFA addresses.

In 2024, it was closed in Kosovo. A series of institutions that functioned in the system of Serbia, which official Pristina does not recognize.

In northern Kosovo, where the Serb population makes the majority, among others, the Offices of the Fund, the Office for Kim, the Center for Social Work, and several companies.

Earlier, the Dinar was abolished in Serb environments, a postal savings bank bank, a vault of the National Bank of Serbia in Leposavić, as well as the facilities of Serbia’s post office.

Serbia has also terminated to issuing car tables for cities in Kosovo.

The remaining institutions managed by Serbia in Kosovo are today only in health and education.

FSS and ‘Croatian plane’

The Football Association of Serbia also apologized last year, but then the topic was not Kosovo, but Croatia.

Someone from the Football Association is at the football players of the Serbian national team, which competed at the European Championships, Sent a plane of the Croatian Airlinewhich political officials then called « embarrassment ».

« (President of Serbia) Vučić was extremely angry. We have our ER Serbia and we all travel to that company, » Ana Brnabic, president of the Assembly of Serbia, said.

FSS charter flight paid 48,500 euros for one direction, then the Belgrade telegraph site published, which they are Many media reported in Serbia.

From the FSS, the Sports Club said for the then that no one, according to the interior of the plane, did not even noticed that it was a Croatian plane.

« Inside, everything was in German, from the license number, the HR label or something, » said one of the present, whose identity the Sports club did not discover.

Jovan Surbatovic, then the Secretary General of the FSS, said it was a scandal.

« These things happen, they happened, whether it was some political provocation, a set-up … it happened and it was certainly a scandal.

« I don’t guilty either team managers or associates because they didn’t know that. It could not be seen, » it couldn’t be seen,  » Surbatovic said thenwho was not leaving the FSS shortly.

Neodile matches

In the past two decades there were many cases when the sport was not due to politics.

And not only in Serbia.

Romania’s football match and Kosovo from 2023. year, played in European Championship qualifications, was interrupted 50 minutes Due to since Romanian fans sing « Serbia, Serbia » and raised banner « Kosovo is Serbia ».

Romania is one of the five members of the European Union that still has not recognized Kosovo, with Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Slovakia.

• ‘Not on the stand with them’

On the eve of Summer Olympic Games in Brazil 2016, the then minister of the Youth and Sports of Serbia Vanja Udovicičić he said That the recommendation of the Government and all union that Serbian athletes abandon the winning stand if it is located with some participant from Kosovo.

He then specified that the decision was at the competitors themselves, but that he did not know himself in such a situation.

As a minister and athletes, he said at the time Udovic, I do not support the decision that is possible to participate in OI in Rio.

• Trepca and Red Star, Football

FC Trepca from Kosovska Mitrovica, in the center of attention, came 2019., when the Kupa of Serbia mergeded him with the Belgrade Red Star, one of the largest clubs in the Balkans.

The match was supposed to be played in Zvečan, but the Star delegation was not released from Kosovo – footballers were returned from the Jarinje administrative crossing.

Duel was played next day at the FSS sports center in Stara Pazova, near Belgrade, and the stars convincingly won.

• Trepca and Partizan, basketball

And a year earlier, the plan was to play a friendly match with basketball players Trepca, but they were also not allowed to enter Kosovo.

• Serbia – Kosovo, Handball

In the same year, tensions were in front of the match of women’s handball junior selections between Serbia and Kosovo, and within the qualifications for the World Cup.

The match should first be played Kragujevac, but was moved to Kovilovo sports center, the periphery of Belgrade, in order to be canceled by the decision of the Government of Serbia.

In the days in front of the match, the fans protested in front of Kovilov, announcing the arrival at the game day, although the match should be held without audience, features and anthems.

The European Handball Federation (EHF) was suspended by the Handball Federation of Serbia, and threw young handball players from the qualifications.

• Kosovo boxers and Belgrade

In October 2021. Kosovo boxers were not at the World Cup in Belgrade.

The Kosovo delegation then tried to reach Belgrade three times – unsuccessful.

« We were stopped at the border every time due to the codes of Kosovo », said then for BBC Ljatif demolsSecretary General of the Boxing Association of Kosovo.

Nenad Borovcanin, President of the Boxing Association of Serbia, In a short statement for BBC He said that « the so-called Kosovo was not a participant in the World Cup » and does not want to make statements « on their provocations. »

• Kosovo karate and Belgrade

Something similar happened in 2018. Kosovo Karate national team – they wanted to participate in the European Championships in Novi Sad, but both times were detained on crosses.

Matches played

However, that does not mean that the matches between Serbian and Kosovo teams were not.

Marketers Naise from Nis have won 2007. Vlaznimi team from Gjakova 46:13, in the eighth finals of the Cup Challenge.

The match is played in the Hungarian city of Tatabanja, without audience and with strong security forces.

The matches of Serbia, European Handball Federation for Vljaznimi, flag Cup Challing, as well as flags of judges and delegates – Hungarian and Slovakia.

Also, In February 2022. Six Kosovo athletes participated in the Balkan Championship in Athletics for Youth in Belgrade.

This is the first time that the national team of Kosovo under this name participated in the sports competition in Serbia, they also stressed from the Kosovo Olympic Committee.

Seventeen years after the declaration of independence, Kosovo recognized about 100 countries. However, the correct number is not known.

Pristina lists the number of about 115 countries, and in Belgrade they say that they are far less.

Among European Union countries that have not recognized Kosovo are Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Greece and Romania, and when it comes to world powers, these are Russia, China, Brazil and India.

Kosovo has become a member of several international organizations since 2008, such as the IMF, the World Bank and FIFA, but not the United Nations.

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