24.10.2014 17:14 h

Albanian prime minister slams UEFA sanctions

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama slammed as "political" UEFA's decision Friday to award last week's aborted Euro 2016 qualifier to Serbia by a 3-0 scoreline.

"UEFA took a political decision," Rama told a press conference.

"UEFA put a sign of equality between the aggressor, the responsable for physical violence and physical and psychological impossibility (of Albanian players) to continue the match," he added.

According to him, UEFA did not take into account "racism and violence openly demonstrated during the match" by Serb supporters.

Earlier, Rama wrote on his Twitter profile that "today the justice has not been served regarding what had happened at the Belgrade stadium."

Rama backed the decision of Albanian Football Federation to appeal against the UEFA sanctions.

UEFA ordered Albania to forfeit the game by a 3-0 scoreline but deducted the three qualifying points from the Serbs and ordered them to play their next two matches behind closed doors.

The Albanian and Serbian federation were fined 100,000 euros ($126,000) each.

Both Albanian and Serbian federation said they would appeal the decision.

The October 14 match in Belgrade had to be called off after home fans invaded the pitch and attacked Albania players when a drone carried a pro-Albanian flag over the stadium.

"The UEFA commission's decision does not give justice," blasted Albania coach Gianni De Biasi. "The three points belong to Albania and they've taken away from us what we've deserved."

"The decision of the commission is wierd and unacceptable," said Albanian federation Secretary General Ilir Shulku.

"The Albanian football federation will appeal against the decision demanding three points for victory," Shulku said.

Albanian Football Association lawyer Artan Hajdari qualified UEFA's decision as "weird" and a "parody."

"We will continue our fight for justice ... because the case of racism was not considered," he said.

In Belgrade, the Serbian Football Federation (FSS) said in a statement it "decided to use its right to lodge an appeal against UEFA decision," calling it "contradictory."

"Serbia was awarded 3-0 scoreline... but at the moment when the responsibility of another party was proved Serbia has been the one deprived from points of the victory," the FSS said.

The FSS recalled that following incidents at the match between Italy and Serbia in 2010 at Genoa the same body had decided that "the organiser (Italy at the time) is not responsible for incidents and all sanctions concerned Serbia."

"We have an impression that new models of disciplinary measures have been tested on Serbian football," it added.

Coach of the Serbian team, Dutch Dick Advocaat, called the decision "unbelievable" and said that "only one side is punished here and that is Serbia."

"Unfortunately, I have an impression that somebody does not want to see Serbia taking part in EURO 2016," Advocaat said.

After the match, Serbia's foreign minister called the flag stunt a "political provocation" by Albania. The flag carried by the drone showed a map of "Greater Albania," a nationalist project seeking to unite all Albanians in one state.